"Now, you may not be the man I want, but don't make me kill you." "Turn around slow." "You John Tyree?" "I am." "You and this country have already cost me a good horse." "Which one?" "You got your mind set on it, we'd better find out." "One more thing, though." "I didn't kill the marshal." "Know that!" "I didn't kill him." "I won't try to prove it." "Only the man in Texas." "All right, where?" "Nowhere at all, gunfighter." "You done killed yourself a set of perfectly good saddlebags that cost me eight Yankee dollars in gold." "And if you didn't kill my last pint of... of water between me and the angels." "Where did you ever learn to shoot?" "In a better school than you did, fortunately." "I don't usually miss, friend." "Neither do I, and I better straighten you out on one thing." "I am no friend of yours." "Here." "Just here." "That'll be dry, too." "Worth one, but it's gonna be dry, too." "I gotta admire you for finding them at all." "You must have some Apache blood in you." "That Silmser, he was from my own part of west Texas." "I liked the man." "I'll bet you did." "I bet you cried when you staked him out on the ground." "Here." "Well, Tyree..." "I just don't have the inclination or the breath to offer you the water a second time." "Friend, I could say I don't want any." "I could say that I don't want any because if I'd have shot straight," "I wouldn't have these..." "these chains on my wrist." "Or your company." "Just my own pleasant solitude to die in, huh?" "I could say that." "Or I could say that... that I don't want it, because I'm too proud to be given something that, in reality," "I'm gonna take!" "You have a bad disposition... and a big mouth." "Like I told you, I am no friend of yours." "Well, I'm not beat, you understand?" "I'm just a little more respectful." "But I am thirsty." "Thanks a lot, anyway." "Now wait a minute!" "You know, I saw a man do that one time down in Mexico." "He come on a great big water hole about an hour later." "All that sweet water, he didn't have nothing to carry it away in." "Like to see a man with a nice even disposition." "Come on." "I've tracked you for six weeks through this country." "You know it just like the back of your own hand." "Where are we gonna find water?" "Maybe the, maybe the Times' place." "They never have run dry there." "Or so I'm told." "But you're gonna give out before we get there." "Tyree." "You don't figure I did this." "Possible." "Hasn't been dead half a day." "Well, what about Silmser?" "You don't think I stabbed him in the back and did this to him." "Let's bury him." "I asked you a question!" "Did you murder a man in Texas?" "I did kill a man, but that was long ago and far away and he had a gun in his hand." "Now, will you take these chains off?" "Yeah, there was a girl here, too." "She's gone." "They probably took her." "They?" "Who are "they," friend?" "Marauders, maybe." "I don't know." "The same ones that killed Silmser, huh?" "Maybe." "Now will you take these chains off?" "Not yet." "That's Times' place?" "That's right." "And it never runs dry?" "So they say." "Get away from the rifle." "You are getting hasty." "You'll get yourself killed." "I could die of thirst while you was being too careful, too." " Anything in it?" " In what?" "In the bucket!" "Well, it sure is heavy." "That was my shot foot you dragged me in here with!" " You gonna die on me?" " No." " You still shoot?" " Yes!" "Friend, you wouldn't shoot me in the back?" "Friend, if I was gonna shoot you, it wouldn't be in the back." "Cover, please." "Just tell him to put that down on the floor." "That weapon gives him adult status." "Tommy... put it down." "Please." "You hurt my sister, I'll kill you." "Son, I got a man outside with a bullet in his leg." "Do you want to help me with him?" "I'm not outside, friend." "I'm right behind you." "That's a safe place to be, if you're not a liar." "Have any water?" "No." "No, I don't." "We're some thirsty, ma'am." "If you could just spare us a half a cup apiece." "We got less than a gallon." "It's for the boy." "Tommy." "Mmm." "Oh, that sure is good, ma'am." "Haven't you got any manners?" "Excuse me, ma'am." "It's miss, not ma'am." "Where's your family, menfolk?" "Well, yesterday, some men..." "Tommy!" "They dead?" "They're away, that's all." "The storm's keeping 'em away." "And the Apaches?" "No, the Mongoles and the Chiricahuas water here." "We live at peace with them." "Oh?" "You live at peace with the marauders, too?" " They water here, too?" " Not until you drank." "You better get off that leg." "I'll take the key now, friend." "You are a liar and a cheat and a coward." "Just the key." "Not in the back." "You can turn around, if you want to." "I'm just trying to save your life, that's all." "You kill me, you're gonna protect this half girl, half woman?" "and that boy?" "You with a shot-up leg like that?" "Well..." "It looks to me like she's doing all right by herself, so far." "I will turn around." "Protect 'em?" "From what?" "Don't you know?" "No, ma'am... uh, miss..." "I don't." "Marauders." "Is this yours?" "What happened?" "The well went dry." "We got as much water two barrels." "And we started for Fort Apache." "There's wells there... that never run dry." "We couldn't see a dozen yards ahead of us." "Then these men came out of nowhere." "And some were on horses, and... and some was on foot." "And they shot Tommy's pa." "I turned around and came back." "I didn't know the way to Fort Apache." "Tommy and me came back here." "When they find us, or if they make Tommy's pa... tell where we are, and they find no water... they're going to break in here." "They won't believe we have none." "Even if we let them search, they won't believe." "And they'll kill Tommy." "And me." "How many were there?" "Ten." "Maybe 12." "Bullet still in the leg?" "Yes, miss." "Get him over to the bed and I'll see to taking it out." "Well, now, wait a minute, are you as good a doctor as you are a shot?" "I'm not a good shot." "You're not?" "You almost shot my foot off." "That's no great shakes, considering I was aiming for your head." "Miss, do you have any dynamite?" "In the shed." "First, get him over on the bed and shuck his pants off." "Oh..." "Oh, look, miss, it's... it's just my foot." "You don't have to take my pants off for that." "Ow." "Steady, friend." "Here." " Come on." " Mm..." "I won't hurt you no more than I have to." "Take his chains off." "No, ma'am." "What time is it?" "The sun's been up two hours." "I can't hear the wind." "It's soft today." "I think it's the end of it." "I thought they'd come last night." "What'll you do?" "Will you stay here?" "It's our land." "Tommy's and mine." "What will we do?" "Where will we go?" "Him to an orphanage, me to what?" "Mister..." "I've been an orphan." "Now I want to sink my roots, and raise a family, and nourish them, and them nourish me." "Among the Apache," "I was called Nitocuche, which means "daughter of a brave warrior."" "Because my father died well defending my mother and myself." "Since I was ten, and taken from the Apache," "I have scrubbed floors, and made beds, and done many things which I have not had to do since coming here." "And I will not do any more." "I will send Tommy to the fort, and go live with the Apaches, if I can find no one with which to share my life." "They have come." "Somebody... help me up." "Ah." "Will you take these off?" "Not just yet." "Just take them off!" "There's six of 'em, there." "Did you think I just gave her that rifle just... just so she'd be killed?" "Here." "Here." "If you shoot me, friend," "I'll never forgive myself, even if it's an accident." "If I do shoot you, it won't be no accident." "I'm going outside." "And you... were you really aiming at his head?" "No." "Hm!" "Where are the others?" "Dead." "We want water." "Allow us our fill, and we'll go on our way without harming you." "Or yours." "I'm gonna ask you three questions." "You tell me the truth and I'll know it." "You can haul that bucket up, take your fill, and go on your way." "You lie to me, I'll know that, too." "And I'll kill you." "No matter what happens to them, no matter what happens to the men in the house with those rifles on you, no matter what happens to me, I'll kill you." "Three questions." "Did you kill the man that owns this place?" "That'd be yesterday." "Yes." "You torture him?" "Yes." "Did you torture and kill a Texas Ranger named Silmser?" "How long ago?" "Six weeks." "Man about 50, gray-haired, brown eyes." "I remember him." "Yes." "Go ahead." "Uh." "There any in the house?" "Yes." "I've brought you some water." "Friend..." "I don't make many mistakes." "You go to the devil." "Friend." "Mister..." "Send for the preacher." "He's got a bad nature." "I know." "Then I'll send for him." "Ah..." ""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" "Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?"