"Damn you, Will Penny!" "Steal my biscuits and bring me no firewood!" "What the hell's got into you?" "Them biscuits ain't for you to steal." "They ain't to be ate till I say so." "Now, come on, give 'em back." "At least give me some coffee." "Bring me some firewood." "Go on." "Pot ain't boiled yet anyhow." "Chuck!" "Come and get it, you cow-nurses, or I'll throw it out!" " Chuck's on!" " Come on out, boys." "Get outta those blankets, damn you!" " Wearing snowshoes, Bo?" " You've been walkin' on my feet." "Old man like you belongs at the end of the line." "We do all the work." "I'm surprised you got this far." "You earned yourself a warm corner." "That's enough, Shorthorn." "Was you about to do something?" "'Cause I'd sure clean your plough." " Whoa!" " Ride him!" "You stupid, jug-head bastard!" "Last day." "Make it a good one." "Get there today and you make your bonus." "Get where?" "Ain't a bottle of whisky or a town inside a week of here." "Save your money!" "Get a spread of your own, like me." " Money didn't get you into cattle." " No?" "What did, Will?" "More like a long rope and a hot iron." "Let's go!" "Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, old man." "It's time you did something, Will." "Fightin' don't get the work done." " Something chasing you, Dutchy?" " If the augur sees you, he'll get mad." "Ja." "I see where they're taking us." "Nowhere, that's where." "Nowhere at all!" "Who figures it out they put a spur there?" "What for?" "Everybody trying to get ahead." "Train company wants to get to the cows." "Anse wants to get to market first, to get top price." "And the poor cow-hand rides drag." " Better than pushing' a plough." " Ja." "Down steer!" "Bigfoot!" "Comin' a-runnin'!" "He busted my damn leg!" " Gimme some air, boys." " Stand back, boys." "She's busted, all right." "Grab a hold of this." " Here." " You've been holding out on us." "That stuff's for doctoring, not drinking." "Hang on to him." "That's enough." " Feels like it's smashed to pieces." " He'll go to Kansas City with us." "He'll get a doctor there and his train ticket home." "What if he can't work for you no more, Anse?" "That's the fall of the cards." "He'll get a job some place." "Ike, how did you manage that?" "Real slop." "But that's the way I like it." "You do the cooking." "I'll get a job where the horse has the brains and does all the work." "Well, look who's here." "Where you been hidin', Grandpa?" "Might not be good, but it's hot!" " You ain't fighting' proper!" " You're the one that's down." "I told you that leaky mouth would jump up on you, Boetius!" " Won't you fight with these?" " My hands are for working." "If the Lord wanted men to fight like dogs, He'd've give 'em teeth and claws." "He's younger than you figure, ain't it, sonny?" "You go to your gun, I'll hang you right here!" " You boys wanna fight, or get paid?" " Get paid!" " If you can't write, make your mark." " I went to four grades of school!" " Want your train ticket?" " Don't need it." "Got my wagon." "Move on." "Let the next man in." "You can't cowboy as good as you write." "Ticket?" "No ticket for me." "I think I ride along with Blue." " What's your whole name, Will?" " Penny." "Will Penny." " You got any family?" " No." "Another job to go to?" "This time of year?" "You know better than that." "You're a good steady hand." "You can be bull-nurse with me." "Wait here for the train and ride to Kansas City." "Sure thing." "Mr Howard." "Can I go with you to Kansas City?" " You wanna see the elephant?" " Naw, hell." "I've been there before." "My pa lives there." "He's gettin' pretty old." "If I don't see him on this trip, I won't see him again at all." "I already got Will Penny." "If you wanna go, you've got more than enough to get there." "Well, you're a fair man, Mr Howard." "I'll see you punchers some time." " Ever been to K.C.?" " No." "I guess I'll see the elephant." "Ja!" "Wiedersehen, Will." " Will." "I gotta talk with you." " Sure." "It's about my pa." " So long, Anse." " So long, Bo." "Damn haul gets longer every year." "See you back in cactus country." "I don't know, Bigfoot." "It puts me out of a job mighty sudden." " North of here, Flatiron might be hiring." " In the winter?" "I wouldn't lie to you, honest." "Hold on..." "Look..." "I'll give you some of my pay." "Twenty dollars!" "Which one of you is coming with me?" "Aw hell, go on, then." "Gimme ten dollars so I don't feel like a damn fool." " Me, Mr Howard, if it's OK." " Come on." " Much obliged, Will." " Yeah." "You fellas got room for one more hand?" "So long, boys!" "So long, boys!" "Hey, Blue." "Come on, wake up." "I bet there's some place in this wilderness they got whisky." " And beds." " I forgot what it tastes like." "And a bath." "I think I got bugs." "Just one shot." "I hope we can find us a job." "Not the three of us together." "Ain't no place they hire three hands in winter." "One job's all I need." "Sharing a blanket don't make us married." "Will, I think he'll find that Flatiron spread to hire on." "It's a damned good thing he can cowboy, 'cause he sure can't navigate." "It ain't hot yet." "Come on!" "Go and get the water!" "All right." " What the hell...?" " It's an elk!" "Fresh meat!" "Hey!" "Good shot, Blue." "You got him." " But I didn't." "Didn't you?" " Didn't I...?" "Ja." "I shot him with my knife." " Let's move him." " Or somebody gonna be mad." "Madder than a stud at gelding time." "Careful." "They got the sun on us." "Rawhiders." "Ja." "It's bad business." " Good morning." " Good morning." "Name's Quint." "Preacher Quint." "These here are my boys." "Mighty nice of you minding' that elk for us." "We can clean it up ourselves." "Rafe, here, handles a knife just fine." "We give them the elk, ja?" "We were onto it first." "Next thing, they'll want our breeches." "Come on, Papa." "Let's kill 'em." "We seen a whole camp back there." "Where's the rest of the party?" "My shot brought it down." " Maybe we split 'im up with you." " Shut up, Dutchy." "Well, now." "That's better." "There's five of us." "Countin' my woman." "However many there is of you, if you was only two, that elk might be enough to go round." "We'll work it out that way." "Then we all go away friends, ja?" "There's more of us." "But we'll make do." "I don't see no more of you." "Maybe you're saying that to trick us." "Or maybe you're saying that because you know that elk is ours." "And you're scared because the Lord don't side with them... that lies and steals." "The Lord sides with the righteous." "If you go away, maybe the Lord will go easy and forget you tried to rob folk of what's theirs." "Walk away in peace." " We leave them the damn elk!" " If they let us." "They killed Romulus!" "Beware the wrath of the Lord!" "He strikes down them that have blood on their hands." "He punisheth the sinner." "Life for life." "Eye for eye." "Tooth for tooth." "Burnin' for burning'." "Wound for wound." "Stripe for stripe." "Who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." "You ain't seen the last of me!" "Blue!" " Dutchy, what's wrong?" " I'm shot." "I think maybe I done it to myself." "I couldn't get the gun out of my pocket." "Don't you move." "We'll get the wagon." "Blue!" " Don't forget the elk." " Yeah." "Hey!" "Pig, pig, pig..." "Is there a doctor nearby?" "A man's hurt." " Come in." "Maybe I can help." " No, thank you." "Isn't there a damn doctor close?" "About a half day's fast ride up the road." "Town of..." "Alfred." "If you're bad enough to see a doctor, time you get there it's too late anyway." " How bad's your friend hurt?" " Bad." "He's gut-shot." "Belly-shot out here?" "He's a dead man for certain." "He'll bleed to hell before he gets to Alfred." "Hello." "Name's Catron." "Place is mine." "Got some good whisky inside." "Best to make him rest easy while he waits for the end." "Anything he drinks, on the house." "Bury him out back." "I'll carve him a nice head-marker." "Twenty-five dollars sound about right?" "You sound almighty sure he's gonna die." "Sure, I'm sure." "Best to face these things so you can make plans." "Dutchy?" "How are you makin' out?" "Oh, Will..." "It hurts like hell." " We'll go on." " Hey, Will..." "Maybe he's right, what he said..." "that I die before we get there." "No, hell..." "We have waited a long time for a drink of whisky, ja?" "Here is the last place before that town, and... you know, maybe I'll never get there." "Will..." "I'd like to have a sure drink here." "Better than a maybe drink later on." "It couldn't hurt so much, one drink." "Come on!" "Yes, sir!" "Planning means a man don't get any unhappy surprises." "Take your friend." "You know, and he knows, he's gonna die." "You don't have to fight over his goods." "Take that coat, for a coat like that, I'd give a man five, six dollars." " You...!" " Will!" "Give us a bottle and three glasses." "Can you pay?" "You got more guts than a man could hang on a fence." "We can pay." "How's she taste?" "Damned if I know." "But it sure burns a dollar's worth." "Good, ain't it?" "Ma!" " Ma!" " HG, don't shout." "I can hear you." "There's a man, he's hurt." "He's lying there in a wagon." " Is he alive?" " Sure is." "He's cussing something awful, some words I never even heard before." "You have to get to a doctor, immediately." "Too late for a doctor." "No..." "I'm just a dying cowboy." "Well..." "There must be something I can do." "If, maybe, you could... hold my hand?" " Of course." " You're an angel, lady." " Tell me, how did it happen?" "Wild Indians they was, lady." "Maybe... fifty." "My friends ran away and left me to fight them off." "Why, the cowards!" "That's terrible!" "Ja, that's right." "Them bummers." "They wait until them Indians is all finished, then they come back, and bring me here." "Here you go, Dutchy." "Thanks, Will." "Least I can do after you killed all them Indians." "Are you one of the men, his friends, who left him to the savages?" " We surely did." " You call yourself a man?" "You call yourself his friend and then you do this to him." "If I were you, I'd never speak..." "I would never speak to them again." "Ja." "Maybe I won't." "I cannot comprehend behaviour like yours, I simply can't." "It's easy to figure, ma'am." "We just ain't as brave as him." "Dutchy's... plumb brave." "Yes." "And you leave him to die in the cold." "At least bring him inside." "That won't help him, juggling that bullet around in his innards." "Is that going to help him?" "It may not put him back on his feet but it won't put him in his grave either." "Is there anything more I can do to help you?" "No." "Hey, Will." "What he said, that..." "Schwein... is he right, do you think?" " I will die?" " It happens to all of us, Dutchy." "No, Will." "You know what I mean." "Is now my time?" "We'll get you to that doctor." "I don't know, Dutchy." "How the hell do I know?" "There's a lot I ain't done yet." "Cowboyin' around." "Hurts like hell." " I'll get you another drink." " Will?" "I'm only 27 years old." " Want part of the bet?" " What bet?" "He bet 50 dollars Dutchy don't make it to..." "Where's it?" " Alfred." " Want some of that?" " All you got." " Another 50!" " You got a bet." " Let's drink on it, like gentlemen." "How do you know what gentlemen do?" "Mr Bodine." "Mr Bodine, you promised to get us to California before winter set in." " That's what my husband paid you for." " Yes, ma'am." "He sure did." "As soon as you finish that plate, we're leaving." "Is that clear?" "Yes, ma'am." "Let's have another bottle." "One of them St Louis ones." " Mr Bodine!" " That'll be three dollars, ma'am." "Hurry up, HG." "Get your stockings." "Hold on." " What do you think, Will?" " About what?" "About Dutchy." " You known him a long time?" " No." " Why did you bet?" " Why did you?" "We been working the same outfits, three, four years running." "He's a good old boy." "And this ain't a good way for him to go." "I'll tell you Blue, there ain't no good way to go." "Let's drink up and get outta here." " Sonny?" " Yes, sir?" " Where's the doctor?" " Doctor?" " They said you got a doctor here." " Down the street." "The barber's shop." "Where it says "Post Office"." "Doctor?" "There's a man hurt out here." "How about it?" "He's bad shot." "Shot, hell." "He's damn near frozen to death." "He smells like a still." "Did you stop off on the way to celebrate?" "Slow and easy." "If you move too fast, they might miss something." "Over there on the couch." "Better go home, John." "I'll finish you later." "If I want any help, I'll send for you." "You can go home now." "Mattie!" "I'll need you." "You must have taken your own sweet time getting here." "This is my wife, Mrs Fraker." "I don't know their names." "If we straighten him out too fast, he'll break, he's that cold." "Let's warm him up, and then get his clothes off." "Why don't you boys go to the hotel, get yourselves a bath?" "Come back tomorrow morning." "Children." "Dangerous children." " But it's so early!" " Early, hell." "The sun's up." "Oh." "The sun's up." "Go along, now." "I'll see you again." "Not if I see you first." "Will, are you really that set on going?" "I'd not care to winter here." "The way money goes, I'd be sellin' my saddle." "But riding' the grub line up here?" "There's that Flatiron spread Bigfoot spoke about." "If that don't work out, I guess I'll head south." "You?" "I reckon I'll just hang around a spell." "Maybe get a job bar-doggin'." "See how old Dutchy makes out." "Maybe we'll cut trails some day, south of here." "Maybe so, Will." "Yeah." "That's him, all right." "Ain't no way to forget him." "Not while he's alive, anyway." " We sure as hell can fix that in a hurry." " Not yet." "Plenty of time." "He ain't going nowhere we can't find him." "And we're just gonna take our own good time about it." "About carving' him up." "You make 'im out, Alex?" " Somebody riding' grub line, I suppose." " That's a Flatiron horse." " Ain't that Bright Eyes?" " Yeah, one of old Claude's string." " Want to talk about this?" " I found him like that." "I guess he came off and wrapped up the whole ball of wax, right there." " Old Claude was a good horsebacker." " Pretty forky." "If you say so." "I never had the pleasure." "What brings you up here?" " Are you the stud duck?" " That's right." "I just shoved a bunch from Texas, put 'em on the train... and went off the payroll." " You're looking for a meal?" "No, I'm looking for a job." "One of the Texas hands said you might be hiring'." "I'll take 'im." "He ain't comin'." "I come instead." " You must need a hand. - Claude was a good cow-puncher." " Mighty good man all the way round." " Well, sure." " That's always the way." " What's always the way?" "Let a man die, right away he's good old Claude." "How was he before he bucked out?" "You boys, go dig a proper grave." "We'll hold services for him later." "Come on over to the bunkhouse." "This here gentleman calls himself Will Penny." "He comes riding' around here as nice as you please, hopin' to find a nice job." "And there lays old Claude, just beggin' him:" ""Take mine, Mr Penny, take mine!"" "Hell, that's the story you give the big augur." "Now, we're just no-account cow-punchers together, here." "Ain't no need for you to tell us them lies." "Well, son." "You dealt this hand." "I guess you'll just have to play it out." "Hold it!" "All of you." "This man's on the payroll." "A Flatiron hand, not a stranger." "Any eyeballing done around here, I'll do it." " Hell, we're just trying to help 'im." " Yeah, like a sharp stick in the eye." "Take Claude's job, line-rider in the ridge country." "Pay's 30 dollars a month." "Are you sure you rode line before?" "Sure enough to have mighty strong feelings about it." "You can tell he's done it before." "We got rules here on the Flatiron." "You hold to 'em and we'll be friends." "Break 'em and you're out before you can say, "Excuse me, ma'am."" "First, we got no drinkin' or gambling'." "Cut the wolf loose all you want in town, but not on this layout." " Is that plain?" " Plain enough." "The pilgrims that come through:" "As long as they keep movin', fine." "If they take a beef now and then, you don't do much either." "But you don't let nobody stop." "That's the most important thing." "Nobody stops on Flatiron range." " What if they don't move?" " They'll move all right." "Won't nobody say nothing about it, neither." "One of the boys'll tell you how to get to the old shack." "Three or four days' ride." "Is there anything else?" "No." "I reckon you said it all." "About them nesters." "If there's too many to handle, come back for help." "Otherwise, I don't wanna hear from you till spring." "Hello, the shack!" "You may as well come on out." "This here's Flatiron range." "You can't squat here." "Don't... don't shoot!" "Please!" "Don't shoot." "My name's Will Penny." "You remember me, ma'am, from the... road ranch, that man Catron's place?" " Don't come nearer!" "I'm alone and..." " Ma!" "The boy's right." "Don't ever tell a stranger out here you're alone." " Where's your guide, Mr Bodine?" " He went on ahead." " Did he get paid?" " My husband paid him in St Louis." "He ain't comin' back, I can promise you that." "Anybody could see he had no stomach for it." "Now look at you." "You and the button, you can't sleep in the wagon." "Well, of course we won't." " You can't stay here." " Why?" "This is Flatiron range." "The rules say no squatters." "If you won't move on peaceable, somebody will come and make you." "Are you gonna do that?" "If I don't, they'll just send some..." "That's how it is up here." "Nobody's using this old shack, anyway." "A line-rider uses it, son." "Look, there ain't no way..." "Don't come any nearer." "This may go off." "Please, don't be scared." "I ain't gonna hurt you none." "Look, I'll be on my way." "Please be careful with that damned thing, ma'am." "I'll be gone two, three days, maybe a week." "I gotta see how this place lays out." "That gives you plenty of time to pack up." "When I get back, you be gone from the line-rider's shack." "Mr Penny!" "Who is the line-rider?" "Me." "I am." " We'll have to get more tomorrow." " Already?" "You want to be warm, 'specially in the morning." "You goin' somewheres, boy?" "He ain't as stout as he looks." "Aw, hell!" "Just stand right there..." " Gimme my knife back." " Get his boots." "Boots hell, Papa." "We're gonna get everything here." "Come on down!" "Papa!" "He ain't dead yet." "Ain't we gonna get to kill him?" "Oh... that's bad." "That is bleedin' real bad." "We don't want that to happen." "I knew a fella once, his wagon team got away with him, run a wheel spoke through his middle." "Bled himself out, right there." "Don't you know how easy it was?" "It was like takin' a little sleep under a shady tree." "Didn't hurt at all." "He just got kinda drowsy and... just dozed off." "Well... sir, it ain't gonna be that easy for you." "No, sir." "Not that easy." "Remember me?" " Dead?" " No, he ain't dead." "Leave him." "Leave him?" "Leave him be." "Out here by himself... no goods... winter comin' on." "He's gonna be a long while a-dyin'." "And all that time, he's gonna know who done it to him." "Yes, sir." "Mighty long time." "And then, he'll be dead." "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." "Blessed be the name of the Lord." "Come on!" " Ma." " Yes?" " Is he gonna die?" " Well, I hope not." "HG!" "Go and get some water!" "HG!" "Yes, Horace?" "I thought we didn't like him." "We don't." "I just couldn't let him stay sick." "It wouldn't be..." "It wouldn't be Christian, would it?" "Like the good Samaritan." "That's right." "I think you should eat something." "It's been three days." "That long?" "Here." "Good..." "Thanks, I..." "I owe you thanks." "Let's be clearer." "We are not friends." "You can stay until you're better, but when you are, you will, of course, leave." "Poor old cow's freezing out there." "You awake, mister?" "Not really sure." "Was it the Indians?" "The wild Indians?" "How many were there?" "Hundred, maybe two hundred." "A hundred?" "You're telling a fib." "That's right, Button." "Just a windy." "HG, I think Mr Penny would like to get some rest now." "Mr Penny!" "Before long it'll burn so fast, I won't be able to chop enough even two-handed!" "We worked to make you better." "You could hurt yourself doing something unnecessary." "Unnecessary!" "I don't wanna scare nobody, but it's gonna be hell here before winter's through." "Working eight days a week, we won't be able to get ready for it." "Most of this wood's so damn green." "What are we gonna do?" "Winter's just hardly started." "Burn chips, I guess." "What's chips?" "Cow chips, buffalo chips." "They make a hot fire, burn slow." "You know." "No, I don't know." "What's chips?" "Well, chips are..." "Well, they're..." "They're just dried up..." "Yeah?" "Aw, hell." "I'll get the button and go find some." "Horace!" "Is it true what Ma says, you'll chase us away?" "Look, Button, there's more to it than just sittin' there." "Sit up straight, hang on with your legs." "If they find out about you and your ma down at the Flatiron..." "If you told 'em, would there be shootin'?" " Might be." " Maybe you oughta tell 'em." " You want to see some shootin'?" " Never seen any." "I don't think you'd like it much." "How many people have you shot?" "Don't think that's anything to brag on to a nice boy like you." "Come on, sit down and rest a spell." "I ain't so nice." "You can tell me." "Well, I guess there was a few times." " How did it feel?" " Bad." "Bad scared before, bad sorry after." "Ever shoot a red Indian?" "Yeah, once." "Didn't like that much neither." "How come Indians are all red and sunburned?" "That ain't sunburn." "They come that way." " Indians don't get sunburn much." " How come?" "They're smart." "You've seen them sunflowers that grow in the spring?" " Yeah." " Indians take the seeds, grind them up into a butter and spread it over themselves to keep the sun out." " Aw, no!" " Straight up truth." " They make do with what nature gives." " How do you know all this?" "Even a blind hog roots up an acorn now and then." "Will you keep telling me all these things you know?" "Why, sure, Button." "I'll have you a regular scout in no time at all." "Come on." "Come on, boy." ""Here comes the band." "Shall we call Mama and Sandy to see it?" ""Let us stand still and hear the men play as they pass." ""I hope they will stop here and play for us." ""See the large man in front of the band, with his big hat." ""What has he in his hand?"" "Cold on the outside and warm on the inside." "That's the way I hope it works." "I'm almost finished, Ma." "Why not finish tomorrow?" "And then tell me what you've read." "How much has gone from here... to here..." "Right now, jump into bed." " Aw, Ma!" " Hurry up." " Goodnight." " Goodnight." " Night, Will." " Goodnight, Button." "He reads real good." "That oughta do her." "When the snow comes hard, she'll seal up even tighter." "You seem well recovered, Mr Penny." "Feelin' real good now." "I'm glad." " Mr Penny..." "It's time for a bath." " Bath!" "Yes, Mr Penny." " A bath." " What for?" "I took a bath." " When?" " Well, back there in Alfred." "At that hotel." "It was real hot, too." "That seems like a long time ago." "It's about time for another." "So soon?" " Mr Penny." "How often do you bathe?" " What?" "What?" "I said, how often do you bathe?" "Eight or nine times, it... depends." " On what?" " On the weather." "Eight or nine times a month?" "Eight or nine times a month?" "A year!" " A year?" " Well, sure." "You have a real good one when you finish the shove up north, like at the hotel in Alfred, then one or two in the winter." "Hope you don't catch your death." "And a couple in the spring." "And one more good one before you start the shove up again." "The rest depends on what kind of water you hit on the drive." "What's wrong with that?" "That's as much as anybody." "Not quite anybody, Mr Penny." "Now, I think that'll do." "That's hot." "Those clothes could use a wash." "May I have them, please?" "What am I gonna wear till they're dry?" "I have some of my husband's." "You could give them to me in here." "What are you fixin' to do in Oregon?" "Farm." "We're farmers, Mr Penny." "I hear that's mighty good cow country." "We're not cowboys, we're farmers." "Good thing, too, I reckon." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Them horses you got, neither one's good for much except riding' to church." "Jim is a perfectly good horse, and so is Daisy." "Neither one has kicked or bucked since the day we got them." "I surely believe that." "Plain truth is, I'm gonna have hell if I don't get a decent cow horse." " Well, get one." " Where?" "At Flatiron, Alex'll ask what happened to the string he gave me." "Well, tell him!" "It wasn't your fault." "I know that, Mrs Allen." "Well, then?" "He's gonna have every hand in the place out lookin' for them rawhiders." "I hope they do, Mr Penny." "You hope they do?" "Well, ma'am, you don't know nothin'." "First thing, they'll be here lookin' for them horses." "Then what?" "Oh, I see." "Does that mean that you won't tell them about Horace and me?" "No, I ain't gonna tell 'em." "What?" "No, I ain't gonna tell 'em!" "It's plain you'll be staying." "Cold weather like this, I miss it some." "You come all the way from Ohio alone?" "Yes..." "No." "With HG and..." "Mr Bodine." "From St Louis with him." "You're... going on?" "In the spring." "Alone." "Unless I find someone to show us the way, a guide or a... wagon train." "Might be your husband'll come back lookin' for you." "No, he won't do that." "If I was him, that's what I'd do." "Well, you see, you're not." "I hope he doesn't." "He went ahead to start things for us, and if he came back for us, it would just... be a waste." "I mean, it would all be a waste." "It wouldn't be very practical." "I don't know about that." "But this is hard country." "Double hard." "I hate it." "You couldn't turn around, go on back home?" "No, I don't think I'd like that either." "Looks like you're caught between the sap and the bark." "Was it such a bad place, that town?" "We don't all have the same choices." "We just don't all have the same choices." "We did what we thought was right." " Seems a long way to go for wood." " Yep, reckon it is." "Looks about right." "Here, Button, you cut it." "Right there where I marked it." "Is it really almost Christmas?" " Pretty near." " It's beautiful." "I chopped it down, all by myself." "Didn't I, Will?" "He did it all." "Tonight, I'll make some things to hang on it." " Ma?" " Yes." "Next Christmas, will we be home?" "Yes, Horace." "Next Christmas, we'll be home." "Sure glad no one's seen me do that." "Be laughed off the place." "What?" "Milking?" "No self-respectin' cow-hand would be caught milking' a cow." " I won't tell anyone." " I sure won't go braggin' on it none." "O Tannenbaum O Tannenbaum" "Wie treu sind deine Blätter" "O Tannenbaum O Tannenbaum" "Wie treu sind deine Blätter" "Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit" "Nein, auch im Winter, wenn es schneit" "O Tannenbaum O Tannenbaum" "Wie treu sind deine Blätter" "You remembered!" "All the words Grandpa taught you." "Very nice." "Let's all sing it, in English." "Oh Christmas tree Oh Christmas tree..." " I don't know them words." " But everybody knows that one." " Not me." " Don't you know any Christmas carols?" "I guess not." "We'll teach him one, that'll be our Christmas present." "Only, that'll be for tomorrow." "It's time to go to bed." "Goodnight." "Night, Will." " Goodnight, Button." " Goodnight." "Is it really almost Christmas?" " Yes, Horace." " Is it, Will?" " Sure enough, boy." " Night." "We can never repay you." "You've done so much to help us." "Ain't nobody keeping' books on it." " Looks like you're due a singing lesson." " Looks like." " Is that so funny?" " You won't think so when you hear me." "You'll be fine with HG as a teacher." "He likes you." "Goes both ways." "He's picked himself a mean chore, though." "Let me do that for you." " The sooner we start, the better." " What?" "I'll sing a line and you follow." "Deck the halls with boughs of holly..." "Oh, come on!" "For HG." "Deck the halls with boughs of holly" "Very good!" "Fa la la la la, la la la la..." "Fa la la..." " It's plumb silly!" " Let's do the two of them together." "Deck the halls with boughs of holly Fa la la la la, la la la la..." "'Tis the season to be jolly Fa la la la la, la la la la..." "Maybe you was right at the start of it." "Be better if I'd bed down somewheres else." " I think that you misjudge." " No, I was talking about me." "So am I. I think you misjudge yourself." "No." "I ain't no better than the rest of 'em." "You don't know what it's like out here, one woman for every 20, 30 men, and she ain't likely to be much for looks or temper." "Someone like you... you don't know." "Lookin' the way you do, just... goin' about your business, not talkin' all the time like some..." "That smile, in your voice, when you got somethin' to say." "No, please..." "No." "You do know that, do you?" "You know." "I suppose I do." "I tell you I've had... some kind of hell these last weeks." "Pure hell." "I'm sorry." "No." "No need for you to be." "I've been alone since I was a button like him." "No family to speak of, just... helping' in saloons, livin' with this one, that one, free and easy..." "I never wanted it no other way, never knew no other way... thought that's how it's supposed to be." "Now, here you are..." "You and him..." "You ain't even mine!" "You got a way of makin' a man feel like he's a man." "Reckon it's just a case of too soon old and too late smart." "Stay, Will!" "Merry Christmas!" "So." "After all that time, you still ain't dead." "That's good." "You got yourself fixed up real nice around here." "Yes, sir." "Real nice." "Ma!" "Boy!" "Come on!" " Boy, tell me." "Is this your pa?" " No!" " Your husband?" "Is he your husband?" " No..." "Yes!" "Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." "Ask quick and the lies come out second." " What you gonna do?" " What we gonna do?" "We gonna stay here and we gonna rest from our labours." "But no work, see." "No work because this strong man is gonna do it all for us." "A hired hand, all our own." "Never figured on that, did you?" "Our own hired hand." " Wait, please!" " Now, woman, look!" "Which one of my tall sons are you gonna take up with?" "It's a hard choice, I agree." "Both fine, upstanding young men," " righteous in the eyes of the Lord." " Amen!" "So which one?" "He ain't your husband and you took up with him." "She never took up with me." "So, you can take up with one of my boys." "Make a choice." "I can't..." "I..." "Yeah?" " I need time." "It's a hard choice." " Of course it's hard." "I'll give you two days." "That's fair." "Now all their fine points:" "Rafe is smarter but he's meaner." "Ruf's stronger but he's dumber." "If the Lord had put them together, they'd be a perfect man!" "Take your pick." "Come out before you make trouble!" "Get back with the woman and the boy." " Wait!" " Come on, boy!" "Now then, you!" "Wake him up." "You!" "We're gonna keep you here, and we're just gonna keep workin' your butt off." "And if you misbehave, I'm gonna let Rafe there skin you." "And I mean skin, sonny." "He skinned a fella once down in Texas." "A mighty fine job, too." "What the hell?" "Go back to sleep." "Are you all right?" "Yes." "I don't know." "Some way, I gotta get back to Flatiron." " They'll kill you." " I got a plan." "Ain't gonna be no party, you'd have to deal with 'em." "Will..." "You know what they want from me tomorrow." "I'll do anything." "Anything." "Not now!" "I have to make supper." " When?" " In the morning, in there." "In the morning, in there?" "Just you and me?" "Just you and me." " When?" " Everybody will be busy in the morning." "In the morning?" "Where?" "The lean-to." "In the morning." "In the morning, in the lean-to." "I'm gonna be there." "I can dance any one o' ya down to your knees." "If you don't believe me, gimme a try." "Hey, boy, get your mouth off her!" "Did you forget what you told me?" " What...?" " What's the matter?" " Who asked you to come in here?" " You wanna know?" "She did." "That's who." "You're lyin'." "She didn't say that to you, she told me to come here." "I asked both of you." "I wanted to see who would be the better man." "And she made her decision, see?" "You've been telling me a lie, girl." "There's a woman and a boy in the cabin." "Trouble runs to you like a calf to its mama." "Blue!" "What the..." "You sure forget your friends in a hurry." "Thought you were from the Flatiron." "So glad to see you, I never looked." "Lord was smilin' down when he put you here." " Lord nothin', we come lookin' for you." " We?" " Dutchy!" " Ja." "It's me, all right." " Doctor in Alfred said we saved his life." " How?" "Leavin' him in the wagon." "It was so cold, his blood wouldn't run." "If we'd kept him warm, he'd have bled right out." "What the hell happened over there?" "I need some help." "Bad." "How'd you like to get us down in this wagon?" "Close to the shack." "Real close." "Load the gun!" "HG!" "Get away from there!" "Get away!" "Will!" " Gonna tell me about this, Penny?" " How come you fellas are here?" "Your compadres come lookin' for you." "I figured you might be planning something." "Then one of the Lazy Bar Seven hands said we had cattle scattered all over." "We wondered if anybody was takin' care of this camp." " I can see now why we didn't." " You got it wrong, Alex." "It'll be all right." "Don't worry." "Them rawhiders damn near killed me." "Would have done, if it hadn't been for that lady." "And them?" "We come to take him back to that man Catron, he owes us 50 dollars each." "And them two?" "Hell, I couldn't turn'em out to winter up here alone." "That must have been some comfort." "There's no call for that." "What would you have done in my place?" "Took 'em back down to headquarters." "We'd have found work for'em till spring, or till the wagon train comes." "Maybe you thought of that, too." "Reckon I did." "We'll do that right now, then." "What happened?" "Alex has got his back arched up." "Can't blame him." "He's sending you down below." "You coming with us?" "You want us to go down and wait, while you work the winter up here?" "I ain't staying' here." "Will we go with you?" "Cath..." "Shoot, you're still married!" " Pardon?" " You got a husband." "I've never been married, really." "He'd never notice if we never showed up." "Except for the work." "You've been more of a father to Horace than Reuben ever was." "That's not it, though, is it, Will?" "Will." "What is it?" "It's come on so... so quick, like." "Will..." "Before I married Reuben, I had two years to think about it." "All that time never helped a bit." "Now, I've got a few minutes and I'm sure." "I'm absolutely sure." "I'm damn near 50 years old!" "Yes." "What could we do?" "There are lots of homesteads, all over this land." "Will..." "Before... when we talked, what did you think we'd do?" "I don't know." "I..." "I never really come face to face with it, I guess." "Will." "Do you love me?" "What do I know about love?" "Love?" "I guess you could call it that..." "And more." "I never felt like this about nobody." "I want you, and the button, for my own, but..." "But?" "It takes a heap of time, years, to build up a spread." "I don't have them years no more." "Homestead!" "We'd just be startin' up with a few measly cows." "Come January, I'd be trying to feed you, the button, the cattle..." " We don't have to ranch!" "We can farm." " I don't know nothin' about farming'." "I do." "Cath, I'm a cow-hand." "Been a cow-hand all my life." " Scared?" " Damn right." "Bad scared." "I told you before, I lived one way my whole life." "What would I do?" "Try to feed you and the boy, on some measly six-cow ranch?" "What would I do?" "Love us?" "Hell..." "You don't know how bad it can be, ranching'." "Say I got a frostbit foot, or broke my hand?" "Then we're starvin'." "How's love gonna stand up to that?" "It's supposed to, isn't it?" "Yeah." "Come closer with you than I ever will, with anybody." "I seen what it was meant to be like." "But... it's too late, Cath." "Too late for me." "I ain't a good gamble for you." "I wish luck to you, though." "I surely do that." "I love that boy." " Pick us up them 50 dollars?" " You bet." "I'm quittin', Alex." "I couldn't work here no more." "Any money I got comin' for my time, give it to Mrs Allen and the boy." "Is he ever comin' back, Ma?" "Is he?" "Say goodbye, Horace." "Wave goodbye." "Bye, Will." "Bye, Will!" "Bye." "."