"Hey boy!" "Hi, paladin." "You have the tickets?" "Oh, yes." "Thank you, and the flowers, please, hey boy." "Flowers." "That's fine, thank you." "And telegram." "Telegram?" ""need you, life in danger, come at once." "Stanhope."" "Oh." "Well, hey boy," "Send roses and regrets to miss mccormick." "And, uh, hey boy," "Do you like opera?" "No." "Oh." "Uh, I have friend, like opera." "Oh, well, by all means." "Give these tickets to your friend," "And tell him to have a good time." "Hey boy, your girl, does she like flowers?" "No, no, they make her sneeze." "Oh." "Oh." "Good evening." "I beg your pardon?" "I know, we haven't been introduced." "I hope you won't think I'm rude or presumptuous." "But these are lovely flowers and they were meant to be worn" "On a festive, joyous occasion," "Which, unfortunately, will never come to pass." "Will you wear them for me?" "Please?" "Thank you." "Goodnight." "Ah, something wet." "Pretty dusty riding." "Even dustier walking." "Ooh!" "My horse foundered about three miles back." "You don't happen to have a spare mount, do you?" "No, and the relay team's for the stage." "East-bound stage will take you to hammond." "You can get a horse there." "Thanks, but hammond's where I'm going." "You finished with the paper?" "Sure, go ahead." "But it's last week's and just small town stuff." ""deathbed confession clears ed stacy." ""dying of gun shot wounds suffered in a futile attempt to rob the overland stage," ""joe barnes, a former driver, confessed to another hold-up two years ago," ""and exonerated ed stacy, who had been convicted of the crime" ""and sentenced to a long term in prison." ""will stanhope, president of the overland line," ""announced he would personally arrange for stacy's release," ""and expressed profound regret at the miscarriage of justice."" "Ed stacy been released?" "Who?" "Ed stacy, is he out of prison?" "Yeah, yeah, I think so." "Is he coming back to hammond?" "I, uh, I wouldn't know." "Now, what do you care about ed?" "Oh, just reading about him in the paper." "What's that to you?" "Why do you care if he comes back?" "I have my reasons." "Well, if they have anything to do with ed," "They're my business, too!" "Now, talk!" "If I do, I'm gonna make a real loud noise." "And a big hole, more than one if necessary, gentlemen." "Now, you'd like to continue this conversation?" "It's the east-bound stage." "Let it drop, men." "There's no time now." "We'll talk, alright, mister." "Soon." "I wouldn't stop in hammond if I were you." "I'd just ride on through." "Sorry, mister, I didn't get a chance to warn you." "That was ben stacy, ed's brother." "Oh-ho." "whoa, whoa!" "And there's ed stacy." "I figured as much the way ben has been hanging around." "Who are the other two?" "They came with ben when he took over ed's ranch last year." "Thanks." "Hello, ed." "What are you doing here?" "Just passing through." "Business." "It's not with me, I'm clear." "So I heard." "Congratulations." "That thing make you feel fully dressed again?" "Pretty rusty, huh?" "I'll improve." "Well, "heat not a furnace for your foe so hot that it do singe yourself."" "One of those fancy writers of yours again?" "Shakespeare." "It's good advice, ed." "Yeah." "Well, after two years in prison for nothing," "That furnace is boiling up a full head of steam." "Well, that stretch sure didn't tone him down any." "He's just as feisty as ever." "Say, how come you know him?" "I brought him back for trial." "Do you have any idea why stacy left the stage at the relay station, paladin?" "Or where he was going?" "Not the slightest." "He probably went straight home." "His ranch is almost as close to three forks as it is here." "Paladin saw him put on a gun!" "He armed himself to go home?" "Face facts, sheriff." "Come on, mr." "Stanhope, you're making a big fuss about nothing." "Nothing?" "!" "Ed's got a right to be sore considering everything that's happened." "But if we try to make it up to him, show him we're glad he's back," "I think he'll cool off." "Let's wait and see, huh?" "Wait for him to kill me, I suppose." "All I know is, I can't arrest a man for what he's thinking." "Idiot!" "Now do you understand why I sent that wire, paladin?" "I need someone to protect me." "Why are you so sure ed stacy wants to gun you?" "You sent me that wire before you knew he was coming here." "I wrote to him." "Offered to do everything I could to help him get started again." "He sent the letter back." "He hates me, I tell you." "He's gonna kill me." "Well, I can see him as wild, impetuous, immature," "But a killer?" "Don't you believe me, either?" "Mr. Stanhope, just what is it you want me to do?" "I told you, protect me!" "I'm not a bodyguard." "You can hire a couple men for half my fee, if that's all." "Well, not exactly." "I was thinking, all this could be settled quite simply" "If ed stacy could be persuaded to leave hammond." "For good!" "How would you accomplish that?" "How would you?" "Oh." "Nn-nn." "I'm sorry." "Now, wait a minute." "There's $3,000 in this envelope." "Stacy should be interested." "Well, that's a lot of persuasion." "Use whatever you want to and keep the rest." "I wouldn't even care if you kept it all" "So long as I never had to worry about stacy again." "Now, that kind of a deal is out." "Oh, I just mean, uh..." "You can do whatever you want to." "Please." "I need you, paladin." "There's no one else." "All right, mr." "Stanhope." "I'll talk to ed stacy." "Maybe if you saw him tonight?" "No, I guarantee you I'll be a lot more persuasive after a night's sleep." "Ah!" "Yeah, come in." "I wanna have that talk now." "You and stanhope railroaded my brother." "I'm just paying you back for your time and trouble." "Ben!" "Ben, let him up, will you?" "Will you let him up?" "!" "Come on!" "Will you...?" "What're you trying to do?" "Kill him?" "I saw him with stanhope." "They're trying to railroad you again." "I told you before, let me worry about stanhope." "Sure, ed, I was just trying to help you." "I know." "You can help me by staying out of trouble." "Go on, round up dan and floyd." "We're going home." "Well, go on!" "Go on!" "How about some of those fancy words now, paladin?" "believe me, I'm speechless." "Yeah, once ben gets it in his head somebody's out to harm me," "It's kind of hard to shake the idea out of him." "Why didn't you just let him finish the job?" "Saved you some trouble." "I don't see there's any trouble between us, paladin." "There will be, if you don't let up on stanhope." "Me let up on stanhope?" "!" "He's on my back, and hard!" "Ed!" "Ed?" "Wait a minute." "You say stanhope's on your back?" "What does that mean?" "All right, you really care?" "Yup." "I could use a couple of new bridles." "Watch this." "It's been that way all over town." "If they can't get the door closed fast enough," "They just say they're sorry, but they can't give me any credit." "The merchants depend on stanhope to ship in their supplies." "Overland, in turn, buys from their stores." "So, you can see stanhope swings a lot of influence in this town." "Just doesn't make any sense." "Now, here's $3,000." "From stanhope to you." "Why?" "I don't know." "I guess you're his conscience, or maybe he's afraid of you." "His conscience comes pretty high." "There's a condition, ed." "You'd have to leave hammond." "See, stanhope is certain you're going to kill him." "I wanted to, paladin." "That first year in prison, it was all I could think of." "Then, when they let me out, it all came back." "I was gonna make him pay for every rotten second." "And now?" "And now you can relax." "I wouldn't even touch him." "He isn't worth another stretch in prison." "Besides, you gave me a better idea." "His conscience is gonna stick around and bother him for a long time." "Ed!" "You gotta stop ben!" "He's tearing up overland stage almost to bits!" "Ed, I'm gonna have to lock him up." "Couple of you men, give me a hand!" "Take him to jail!" "What happened?" "What could've caused a thing like this?" "Well, this might've had something to do with it." "Delinquent tax notice." "Tax notice?" "Sorry, ed, I gave it to ben." "Nothing personal, it's just part of my job." "It's been more than two years and nothing's been paid." "Two years, and you couldn't wait a couple days more, hm?" "This is regular town business, I'll handle it my way." "You'll handle it his way!" "Everybody in town's handling things his way, and I'm up to here with it." "Sheriff!" "Easy, boy!" "When I came back, I made up my mind to forget what happened." "To forget that you and this town cost me two years out of my life." "I don't expect any favors, I just wanted to start from scratch." "But you won't let me, will you?" "Pushing me around again." "Treating me like I really was a criminal." "Okay, we'll play it your way from now on." "Since I've already put in two years for nothing," "I've got something real big coming." "Right out of your hide." "Eh, you heard him yourself, sheriff, he threatened me!" "I demand protection." "And you'll get it, too, when I see you need it." "After he takes the first shot." "All right, paladin, it's up to you." "I think I'll wait for the second shot." "What?" "!" "I don't like being used." "I don't understand." "You didn't tell me you're trying to run ed stacy out of this town." "Cutting his credit off," "Forcing the sheriff to serve him that delinquent tax notice" "When you knew he couldn't pay for it after two years in prison?" "I gave you this $3,000 for him." "Sure, after you rigged it so he'd have to take it or lose everything." "Either way, you win." "I had to do it, paladin!" "He would've killed me." "He didn't want any part of you." "Whatever happens from now on, you can thank yourself." "What are you men standing there for?" "Grab your horses!" "Come on, let's get 'em!" "Dan and floyd busted ben out of jail." "I believe this simplifies matters." "They're stacy's men." "The sheriff won't have any choice now, will he?" "Not that I object to your company," "But since when does the shotgun ride inside the coach?" "Mr. Stanhope's orders." "Oh?" "And it's a trap." "Figures ed and ben stacy will hit one of the stages sooner or later." "Wants it to look easy for them." "Oh, mr." "Stanhope has a talent for conniving?" "Mm-hmm, he wants to get them real bad." "Even offered a reward." "Before they've done anything?" "Well, it says "for capturing or killing anybody" ""who attempts to hold up an overland stage."" "We know what mr." "Stanhope really means." "Sure hope they try it on one of my runs." "I could use that $3,000." "$3,000?" "That seems to be his favorite number." "Well, we change teams here." "You got about ten minutes." "Fine." "Just a short one?" "Did you hear me?" "Well, now." "You're really using up your two years in a hurry, aren't ya?" "Didn't figure them as any more than a deposit." "You gonna waste 'em on me?" "Not you, paladin, the stage." "Dan and floyd are out there now taking care of it." "I'm making sure nobody bothers 'em." "Pretty smart, huh?" "You didn't expect us to hit 'em here." "Stanhope expected it." "I guess he had you pegged." "Yeah, he pegged me, two years ago." "I don't know if any of your fancy writers ever said it, but..." ""if you've got the name, might as well play the game."" "You don't have the name yet." "Yeah, well it won't be long now." "So, you're going to let stanhope push you around?" "Does this look like he's pushing me around?" "I think so." "When you've robbed that stage, you'll be a wanted man." "There'll be no question about it this time." "No screaming about being railroaded." "No one to confess and get you off." "You'll serve a full sentence." "Yeah, if they get me." "With every sheriff in the state looking for you," "They'll get you sooner or later." "Not before I make stanhope sweat." "Mr. Stanhope will be sitting in his office, safe and comfortable." "I doubt he'll sweat very much." "He's got a big mouth." "Ed, you don't know how lucky you are," "Having someone like this." "Someone who loves you without question," "Who'll fight for you without reason," "Do whatever you want." "Why not?" "He's my brother." "Oh, I understand." "I also understand he gave up his own life, his own place" "And came here to run your place while you were gone." "Kept it running for you because he always believed you'd come back." "And you." "You're repaying him with love and kindness," "By pulling him down to your level." "By making him a fugitive, like you." "When the sheriff's posse comes after you," "What do you expect him to do?" "Stop a slug of lead for you?" "He's right." "You have got a big mouth." "And you've got a small brain." "You're gonna risk him," "And the rest of your life," "For some idea of revenge." "Revenge on a man who wasn't worth it in the first place." "All right, ed." "We tied up the deputy and the stage driver." "And we got what was in the strong box." "It's only $1,000, but it's better than nothing." "Let's ride out of here now." "A thousand dollars." "Now, that's what I call really making stanhope pay." "Ten years of your life," "In exchange for $1,000." "We put it back." "What?" "You heard me, I said, we put it back." "You gone loco, too?" "To go through this whole thing for nothing?" "For the last time, I said, put it back." "We're riding out of here now." "You're leaving." "We'll ride out." "But we're taking the money with us." "'less'n you want to stop us." "Ed." "He's got a big mouth," "But he kind of makes sense." "According to this deposition, witnessed by mr." "Paladin here," "Those men tried to rob the stage," "And ben and ed stacy stopped 'em." "Is that the truth?" "Yes, sir." "Yes, that's right." "That's good enough for me." "Nice work, ed." "Just a minute, sheriff." "These men are still liable to arrest." "Ben wrecked my office." "Their men broke him out of jail." "Hm, that's right." "Fine the both of you $25 for disturbing the peace." "Fine?" "!" "I'm the sheriff here, mr." "Stanhope." "I hand out the sentences." "What about the damage to my office?" "It'll cost at least $200 to repair it." "I'll suggest you deduct that from the reward." "The reward?" "That's right." ""the death or arrest of anyone attempting to rob one of the overland stages."" "That's the way it read, wasn't it?" "That's right." "Your very words, mr." "Stanhope." "Yes, but...!" "You can pick up the money in the morning." ""now conscience wakes despair that slumbered," ""it wakes the bitter memory of what he was," ""what is, and what must be."" "And that's another one of my fancy writers." "John milton." "¶ have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man ¶" "¶ a knight without armor in a savage land ¶" "¶ his fast gun-for-hire heeds the calling wind ¶" "¶ a soldier of fortune is the man called... ¶" "¶ paladin ¶" "¶ paladin, paladin, where do you roam?" "¶"