"Is that the herd you told us about?" "Yeah." "Finest beef that ever come into Seattle." "All the way from Wyoming, and here he be." " Hi, Jeff." "How are you, boy?" " Where do I tag them?" "Take them down to the dock." "We'll run them aboard." " How'd you do, boy?" " Not too bad." " Lose a few head?" " A few." "You started with four men." " Two of them tried to turn back." " I see." "Hold them right there." "That's good." "You owe these fellows $200 for the drive." "Pay them off." "Correct. $200." "Tom, here's $100 for you... and $100 for you, Joe." "Here are your guns." "All right, you've been waiting for 500 miles." "Go ahead and use them." "I'll live to see you hang." "I guess I forgot to shake hands." "How are you, Ben?" " I'm fine." " Still got your pipe?" " Sure." " Here it is." "You're looking good." "You look good, too." "I see you're still wearing the bell." "You wouldn't want me to lose it, right?" "I should say not." "Don't suppose there's sense in asking what happened?" " No." " That's what I figured." "Captain Benson." "Meet my partner." "He said he'd be on time with them cattle, and here he is." "You got just 10 minutes to get them loaded." " He don't like cattle." " No, I guess he doesn't." "Quit poking them steers." "That's beef." "What do you want to do, bruise them?" "Haul in your gangplank." "Cast off all lines." "We got us a stateroom, real exclusive." "You, me, and one other." " No, that's this lady's." "Ours is a him." " Excuse me." "Rube Morris from the Klondike." "He's a bit shaggy, but he's clean." "There he is." "Open the door, Rube." "Say hello to my partner, Jeff Webster." " Howdy." " Hello." "Locked." "Ain't got no key." "See the Captain." "Get a key." "The man's tired, he's got to lay himself down." "Captain Benson, hold up!" "You got a killer on board." "There he is, by the rail." "The tall one." "Bring her in, do you hear me?" "Don't talk like a fool, Walters." "This isn't a rowboat." "Bring her in!" "There's a killing charge against that man on the lower deck!" "Sorry." "You'll have to wait." "I'll put him in custody and hand him over to you on the return voyage." "Take him down to the brig." "Better put him in irons, as long as he's a killer." "Full ahead." "Pull her north by northwest." "Come on down, Joe." "I'll take that gun." "In here." "Hide in the bed." "In the bed." "With spurs?" "Open up!" "They'll be here in just a minute." "Anyone in here?" "Use your passkey, boatswain." "I'm sorry." "I should think you would be." "We are looking for a man, a killer." "In my stateroom?" "I didn't know you were in." "You know it now." "And lock the door." "I imagine you look better with a shave." "My razor's in my saddlebag." "Unless you've got one." "If you put the key in the door and turn it..." " they can't use a passkey." " I know that." "Then you figured?" "Can you think of anything more convincing?" "No, and I'll tell you something else." "I can't think why you did it." "Do I have to have a reason?" " Nobody ever did anything for nothing." " You're right." " I may need a friend in Skagway." " And in the meantime?" "In the meantime, I'll tell your partners where you are... and when it's safe, you can go to your own cabin." "And in the meantime?" "Say "thanks."" "That's a term I seldom use." "Open the door, it's me." "I got us some food." "Soup and beef." "What kind of soup?" "Just soup soup." "$5 for the beef and taters." "$5?" "Skagway prices." "Beef bringing $1 a pound on the hoof." "Bringing better than $10 a pound dressed in Dawson." "Burned the taters." "But we're gonna be rich, Jeff, yes, sir." "Just as soon as you drive that herd to the Klondike, we'll be rich." " Are they still looking for me up on deck?" " No, they surely give up." "Cold." "Wouldn't you'd think at these prices they'd put a little fire under the coffee?" "Set yourself down, son." " Where's your food?" " I don't need food if I can have my coffee." "Yeah, about 10 gallons a day." "Hope there's plenty of that stuff up in Dawson." "Old Rube says we can't drive to Dawson." "He says there's glaciers, snow, ice, and suchlike." " He thinks we're crazy." " What do you think?" "I think we're crazy, too, but we're gonna be rich." "Then we're gonna get that ranch in Utah, you and me, and settle down." "Good old Skagway." "Everybody's gone but us." " Gone where?" " Gone." "They've gone ashore." "Where do you think they've gone?" "We're in Skagway." "Skagway." "Look." "Four new saloons since last month." "Where'd everybody go at?" "Come on." "Town's real empty." "Come on, now." " Nice folks in Skagway." " Yeah, I know." "Four new saloons." "At least I won't go dry." "Hurry up, I gotta get them critters off this tub." "My, how Skagway grew." "Give me that bottle." " Now, what for you do that?" " On account of Maggie, that's what for!" "You passed me your word no more drinking." "You're taking your gold back to your wife in Missouri this time." "That's a sobering thought." "Here's your hay bill." "I've come to get my cattle." "I'll take another $500 for handling." "Handling?" "You don't handle cattle." "Cattle handle theirselves." " Somebody had to feed them." " That was in the deal." "Not the way I see it." "We don't want any argument." "$500 more, or you don't get the cattle." "First off, I ain't got $500." "Second, I hear stories about you people cheating and thieving like this." "And third..." "Open the gate, Rube!" "Give me a hand here, Ben." "All right." "Now it becomes my duty... to carry out the sentence which I have imposed on these men... for killing and stealing within the territory under my jurisdiction." "However..." "I want it strictly understood that there'll be no undue shouting or cheering... or drunken talk when I pull that lever... on account of it offends the dignity of the occasion." "What's going on here?" "You, there." " It got a little out of hand." "I'm sorry." " You're sorry?" "You just busted up a function of the law, that's what you did." "The people of Skagway don't like lawbreakers." "They go to a lot of trouble and expense to prove it." "New gallows and ropes, 13 steps counted out right and proper... with each step costing not less than $12 per each... and you drive a herd of cattle through the population." "You busted up everything, that's what you did." "And you're sorry." "That's right, I'm sorry." "Hold on." "You're not going anywhere." "Shall I dump them?" "No, leave them be." "We'll save them till Sunday." "Mr. Gannon, you got no quarrel with him." "It was me turned them cows loose." "Don't tell me who to quarrel with." "You're supposed to be in Missouri." "Well, I went broke in Seattle." "Put them back in jail." "You go along with them." " What about this man?" "He's all right." " He ain't all right." "He busted up my hanging." "All right, get down and speak your piece, although it won't do you any good." "It's a plain case of disorderly conduct... with an attempt to kill half the people of Skagway." "It's more than that." "He's wanted for a murder in Seattle." "Seattle will have wait." "He's wanted here for busting up a hanging." "However, I'll add that charge and try him for both crimes." "I agreed to take him back." "And I'll take his partner along, too." "You'll take nobody." "Get out." "Take his gun and lock him up." "Were you thinking of using that?" "No, I was just showing your deputy where to find it." "I'm gonna like you." "I'm gonna hang you, but I'm gonna like you." "Thank you very much." "Lock him up." "Thank you." " Can't you keep out of trouble?" " Sure doesn't look like it, does it?" "Company for you." "This is Doc Vallon, best doc in Skagway." "Yes, because I am the only doctor in Skagway." "So I am the best one." "Will you ask the learned Monsieur Gannon to consider my case quickly?" "I wouldn't crowd him." "He's pretty sore." "Figures you could've saved Gigi's hand." "But the bones were crushed." "There was nothing but to amputate." "Maybe, but you sure ruined a good piano player." "Do you mind?" "No, not at all." "Make yourself at home." "The medical profession, it is most difficult in Alaska." " Why did you come here?" " Because I'm going to Vienna." "Huckleberry, you spilled my soup." "As a favour, Renee, my name's Newberry." "Frank Newberry." "Old berry, new berry." "To me, you Huckleberry and it's a nice name." "It's good to see you still alive." "Papa, here's our soup." "You're the man with the cows." "That's right." "I think I like you." "Well, I think I like you, too." "You'll like me much better when you hear me sing." "But you may not hear me sing if they hang you." "No, probably not." "That's too bad." " Papa, our soup." " Soup, soup." "Always I must eat." "And you mustn't read while you eat." "It's bad for the stomach, right?" "Yes." "Here, why don't you take my seat, Doc?" "Mr. Gannon wants you in court to hear your trial." "That's fair enough." "So long, Doc." "I'll go with you." "Now, you hear?" "You don't read while you eat." "Thank you." " This is where I sing." "Is it not elegant?" " It's real nice." "The court's in here, too." " Rube!" " I'm back!" " It's good to see you." " Shame on you." " That?" "That's sodie pop." "It tastes horrible." " Soda pop?" " What have I done?" " You spilled half an ounce of gold dust." "That'll cost you a kiss, baby." "Look, you're new around here." "Don't do that again." "Deputy." "Order in the court." "Bring in the prisoner." "Careful." "He plays rough." "So I noticed." "Who is he?" " He's the law in Skagway." " I see." "Bring my gavel." "Stand up." "Take your hat off." "Leave that." "Court's in session." "Everybody keep shut or get throwed out." "Seattle business first." "Where's that boat captain?" "You want me to get him?" "No, never mind." "Who'd you kill?" "Two men." "Why?" "They were driving a herd of cattle up from Wyoming and tried to turn back." "So you shot them?" "Seems like a man ought to have a right to leave if he wants to leave." "Even if he's driving trail, that don't give you no reason to shoot him." "If he wants to turn back, he can turn back." "I figured they should not have turned back and taken my cattle with them." "That's a point well-taken." "Of course... you could have shot them in the back." "You don't look like you'd shoot a man in the back." "Have a drink." "You're acquitted." "Now, about them cattle." "I told you about them cows..." "Keep shut, Rube." "How much you figure they're worth?" "That just depends on where I sell them." "You ain't gonna sell them." "They've been seized by the court in lieu of your fine... on account of you're guilty of disturbing the peace... to almost killing 50 people, and disrupting a legal proceeding." "Have a drink." "Court's adjourned." " Aren't you satisfied?" " Why did you have to take his cattle?" "Because I wanted them." "Or isn't that a good enough reason?" "Give me his gun." " Does this go as it stands?" " He's the law." "Yeah, but that's our herd of cattle." " Give me the gun." " No, not with him." "Here's your gun, mister." "I'm happy they didn't hang you." " Now you can hear me sing." " Some other time." "No, I'm going to sing right now." "Come on, some other time." "You're not being very nice." "Had to give yourself an edge." " A little one." " A little one." "I'm gonna like you." "Let's all have a drink." "Tell Steve to play." "Thank you, freckle face." "I am not a freckle face." "Now that you're broke, what are you gonna do?" "Almost anything." "I might even try for your job." "That's been tried by a few." "I could use a new deputy. $10 a day, gold." "I don't think I'd like to work for you, Mr. Gannon." "Suit yourself." "Come and see me when you get hungry." "Excuse me, but maybe we ain't gonna get hungry." "Maybe we'll just push on up the Yukon and stake us out a claim." "When are you gonna leave?" "We were thinking maybe we'd pull out tomorrow morning." "That is, if we still have our horses." "The government ain't interested in horses, but it is interested in your grubstake." " You got one?" " How much do we have left?" "$50 or thereabouts." "Enough to buy flour, salt, coffee... shovel and a pan." "We can kill our meat." " Ain't enough." " You let us worry about that." "That's just what I can't do on account of the line." "What line's that?" "The Canadian line." "You need 100 pounds of food to cross the line." "Come along, I'll show you." " I want to sing for you." " You're real pretty." "Latigo, when are you leaving?" "Tonight." "We're checked out and ready to go." "Dakota here, he'll drive trail for you tomorrow." "I won't need him." " Ma'am, he's the best driver in the country." " I said I won't need him." "110 pounds." "That's good." "Set it next to the wall." "Pick it up in the morning." "Suppose someone rob it." "Nobody gonna rob in Skagway." "Do like you're told." "Next man." "85 pounds." "You're 15 pounds light." "But I can get by on 85 pounds." "I don't eat much, hardly nothing." "You'll eat." "When you run short... you'll kill and steal what belongs to somebody else as you won't have enough." "Now get in there and buy another 15 pounds of food." "But, Mr. Gannon, I worked 2 months for this stuff." "Do like you're told." " Is that a government rule?" " That's my rule." " You sell the food." " For cash only." "There she is, there's the border." "Everything the other side of them hills is all Canadian territory." " Do they take this lying down?" " Well, ain't we?" "I guess we are." "I told you I might need a friend." "I'm going on up into Dawson." "What you need is 100 pounds of food." "I'm carrying a few thousand." "That's mine, and the rest goes up in the morning." "If I can find a man to ride point." "Your pay's 100 pounds of food, another 100 pounds for Ben." "You just hired a driver." "Joe, it's time to close up." "I'm sorry." "Honey, that weren't no accident." "She gonna give you 200 pounds of food to trail drive for her?" "That's what she said." " Where'd she get all this money?" " I don't know." " Rube, who all is this woman?" " Which woman?" "This woman which hired Jeff." "Who is she?" "Who is she?" "You're sitting on her furniture." "She owns this place." "Skagway Castle." "Didn't you see it up over the door?" "Skagway." "That's kind of a funny name for a woman." "Her name is Ronda." "But you better call her "Miss Castle" on account you work for her." "Come on, Rube." "Move your feet." "Ain't no use nudging my elbow." "There's no dust in my poke." "If there were, I wouldn't nudge it anyway." "This Castle woman, is she gonna open up another place in Dawson?" "That's how come you got the job." " She kind of likes you." " I kind of like her." "Closing up, gents." "Front door's locked." "Use the side." " Find any colour, honey?" " Real high-grade tonight." "Was it hickory or yellow pine?" "Look at that." "You mean to say that gold comes from that?" "You don't think she sing in that saloon all night for nothing." "Renee's got the sawdust concession." "She does pretty good." " Do you want to try it?" " Sure." "What do I do?" " Sit down." " All right." " Now you put water on it." " Put water on it." " No, not like that." " Too much water?" "Look." "Here." "This way." "This is liable to take a couple of hours." "You guys might as well go to bed." "Good night." "Good night." "That's the way." " Is that enough water?" " Yes." "All right, there we go." " There's..." "No, there was some." " Try again." " You just..." " Are you really going to go to Dawson?" "With that woman?" "Miss Castle?" "Yeah." "Do you like her?" "She's quite a woman." "No, I lost it again." "You'd better take it or I'll lose your night's work." "There's lots more." "Elbow-nudger." " There's worse things than elbow nudging." " Yeah, I suppose so." "You know, you're very handsome." " I like tall men with..." " Look at this." " Here's some." "Give me the poke." " Here." "There's a lot of gold there." "It takes a lot of gold to become a stomach specialist." " Is that so?" " Yes, I'm sending Papa to Vienna..." " to study stomach." " Couldn't find any in Alaska?" "Now you're laughing at me." "Well, I don't know." "Washing out a whole lot of tired, old sawdust... so you can send somebody to Vienna to study stomachs." "Papa can't wash gold." "You've got to help people when they need help." "Why?" " Don't you?" " I take care of me." "When you're older, you'll find that's the only way." "Good night." "I'm quite old now!" "The pack horses are ready, Miss Castle." " Who are these fellows?" " Drivers." "I hired them." "This is your first trip into Dawson." "They know the trail." "I find my own trails, and I do my own hiring." "So do I." "All right, let's move them along." "All right, move them out!" "Ronda girl, I think I should have hung that man." "Wait a minute, you can't leave old Rube in Skagway." "Why, you old goat." "Where'd you get the grubstake?" "From my sweetheart." "Keep up the elbow-nudging." " Be careful and goodbye." " Goodbye, freckle face." "I'm not a freckle face!" "I'm a woman." "And beef's selling for $5 a pound in Dawson." "Sure is a shame." "Come on." "All right!" "Hello, Mrs. Kingman." "Where's the constable at?" "Up on the Pelly River." "Trouble with the Chilkats." "You give him my very best when he's home." "Hello, Skookum." "You're getting real big." "Get up, boy." "Bye." "He got a real tough job, that constable." "He patrols some 20,000 square miles full of nothing but hill and hollow." "Sometime he don't get home for two and three months at a time... riding up in that far country." "You're going the wrong way, Jeff." "The trail's straight ahead." "I know." "Come on." "Come on down here." "You missed the trail." "It runs straight up." "We're gonna make night camp right here in this canyon." "Night camp?" "We still got three hours of daylight." "When do you expect to get to Dawson?" "Next fall?" "Trail driver." "Wyoming style." "He'll learn." "I don't want to argue, but Gant's right." "We're not gonna argue." "We're gonna make night camp right here." "Now go up and get the horses." ""This causes inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach..." ""secretion of an excessive quantity of mucous..." ""and alteration of the gastric juice."" " Is that an ulcer?" " Gastritis." "The ulcer comes later." "Do you know that we have some very interesting ulcers... on Page 425?" "What's that?" " Can't you hear it?" " Can I help but hear?" "Cows." " Do you know a cow has four stomachs?" " Be quiet, Papa." "All right, let's go!" "I knew our luck was too good to last." "You keep them moving." "I'll go down and have a look." "Stop right there." "Jeff!" "They told Mr. Gannon about the cows." " How did you know I was here?" " I saw you at the corral." " Mr. Gannon is very mad." " Yeah, I can understand that." "Tell Ben and Rube to run the cattle across the border..." " then get back in town as quick as you can." " All right." "Hurry." "Gannon, he's after the cattle." " Is there something you want, Mr. Gannon?" " Yeah, mostly I want you." "I also want that herd." "It's government property." " I'm sorry." "I reversed your decision." " Where is he?" " Can you see him?" " No, can you?" "What did you expect?" "To talk him to death?" "Follow me." "Lost three?" "Next time you follow me, stay a little closer." "You'll live longer." "Hold it right here." "Another five jumps, and we got him." "You sure you want him?" "This marks the end of my territory of jurisdiction." "I don't plan no invasion of Canada." "Jeff, you holed up out there?" "That's right." "That's what I figured." "Waiting to get us as we cross the line?" "Yeah, seemed like a good idea." "Still want to take those five jumps?" "Have a nice trip!" "I'll hang you when you come back!" "What makes you think I'm coming?" "You will." "When the winter sets in, everybody comes back through Skagway." "It's the only way out." "We'll wait here a spell." "He'll be along directly." "What gets me is, how'd you know we was after them cattle?" "Did you see us?" "Yes, but first I heard the bell." "The little bell Jeff wears on his saddle." "That." "He won't ride without it." " I gave it to him, you know." " You did?" "Why?" "A couple of years back, we was down in Mexico... and I bought this bell for our house." "We're gonna have a house in Utah." "We're gonna hang that right over the front door, on the inside... so as when you open the door, the bell jingles, you see?" "On account I'd like to know when my friends come... so I can put on another pot of coffee." "But that's a very little bell." "It's going to be a very little house." "I thought I told you to go back to Skagway." "You did, but Ben told me I could stay." "I'd guess we'd better move them critters along." "Come on!" "I see Ben's been giving out a lot of information." "Did he tell you about those?" " The timber wolves?" " Yeah." " I know about them." "I know lots of things." " I see." "You're gonna be a nuisance." "What am I gonna do with you when we get to Dawson?" "You don't have to do anything when we get to Dawson." "I'm going to work on the claim with Rube." "We're partners." " But what happens to Doc?" " He's going to go to Vienna on a boat." "And then I'll send him more money while he's studying stomachs." "Now, wait a minute." "Just hold on." "What happens to you?" "I'll pan a lot of dust and make a lot of money." "I see." "What then?" "Well, then I think mostly I'd like to get married... to a tall man with brown hair, and I'd like to live in San Francisco." "Do you like San Francisco?" "No." "That's what Ben told me." "He said you don't like any place very much." "You know what he said?" "He said you don't even like people." "Is there any reason why I should?" "Of course." "Why?" "Because if you don't like people, they won't like you." "And then you'll be lonely like him." "Him?" "You know, maybe he likes to be lonely." "Did you ever think of that?" "He never asks any favours because he can take care of himself." "Never trusts anybody so he doesn't get hurt." "That's not a bad way to live." "Maybe you'll learn that when you grow up, huh?" "Come on." "All right." "Run them up in there." "Good morning." "I can see you had a busy night." "Yeah." "Those are my cattle, and I'm taking them to Dawson." "I said nothing about cattle in our deal." "Nope, it was my idea." "Nobody ever does anything for nothing, remember?" "You know what happens when Mr. Gannon finds out you took them?" "Yeah, I know." "I ain't making no drive to Dawson with them cattle." "That goes for me, too." "And me." "That makes it almost unanimous." "You like to cast your vote, Miss Castle?" "I guess I was a convenience to get you over the border." "Let's say we were both convenient." "It's a long way to Dawson." "Get them moving." "Look." "There go your customers." "That bunch has been holed up there for a month... just waiting for the weather to break." "They'll be stringing across that ice all summer." "Now let's see what the man from Wyoming can do with that trail." "There it is, Mr. Trail Driver." "White Horse Pass. 2 miles, straight up." "Real pretty." "We better get going while we still got daylight." "We're not going over White Pass." "We're going down through the valley." " That's the long way around." " Six days longer, in case you're interested." " I'm not." " Why?" "Because there's no grass up there on the ice for his cattle." "I don't care about your cattle." "I hired you to take my supplies into Dawson." "That's what I'm doing, my way." "Even if it's wrong." "I wouldn't jump to no conclusions, mister." "Maybe Jeff don't figure it's safe to climb that ledge." "There's quite a few people who don't agree with him, including me." "I figure we'll go down through the valley." "You keep forgetting that I hired you and I give the orders." "We'll take the mountain trail." "Suit yourself." "Come on, Ben." "Let's get started down the valley." "Go ahead, Ben." "Wait a minute, mister!" "Something you want?" "Is there something you want?" "Why didn't you go her way?" " Lots of reasons." " Name one." "Every once in a while, it snows back in Wyoming." "It piles up on the tops of the mountains, just like this." "Then what happens?" "Come spring, just like this... sometimes that snow begins to move." " But you should have told her." " Why?" "Because if that snow moves, somebody will get hurt." "That's quite possible." "But nobody can tell her anything." "She's a very strong-willed woman." "That's what I like about her." "Never sell that short, freckle face." "I am not a freckle face, and I'm very strong-willed, too!" "All right, hold it up a minute." "What's the matter?" "I don't know." "Pie picked up a rock or something." "You know, Jeff, that Ives fellow's right." "Gonna take us at least six days to get back on that main trail." "Does it matter?" "When you're after gold, it does." "First one there gets the best." "What are you fussing about?" "There'll be enough to go around." "I ain't fussing." "I got a claim." "Wait till you see gold in the pan for the first time... so rich and yellow-like." "Wait till you see it." "It does something to you." "It drives a man crazy." " How did you know?" " I didn't." "I figured it would happen, and it did." "All right, come on." "Let's move them along." " We've got to go and help those people." " Of course you do." "They may be dead." "I didn't kill them." "Yeah, but you may be able to save them if they're still alive." "You're wrong, Jeff." "You gotta help." "Why?" "If you don't know why..." "You're wrong, Jeff." "You stay here and keep an eye on the cattle." "I'll take care of your rigging, Jeff." "That's the last of it." "All we can salvage." "That's too bad." "How many did you lose?" "Three men, six horses." "Unless you found any alive." "No, I didn't." "Did you bury Gant?" "Yeah, we buried him." "What about your people?" "They're buried under 50 foot of snow." "Come over to the fire where it's warm." "There, have some coffee." "Thanks." "You sure you didn't get hurt none?" "Say it." "I was wrong." "You weren't wrong." "You were wrong about the trail, yes." "That was a long shot that didn't pay off, that's all." "As for..." "Being strong-willed?" "There's nothing wrong with that." "That is, if you don't mind getting a broken neck." "If I had, would it have bothered you?" "No." "There's a fire over there." "If you're gonna stay here, I'll get you a blanket." "Do you mind getting me some more coffee?" "Sure." " Thank you." " You're learning." "Have some coffee, honey?" "I hate coffee." "There it is up there, Two Mile Pass." "That's the only way to get into Dawson." "Look at them two coming out." "They must have hit it rich and figured on getting home early." "Who's shooting and what at?" "You two fellows look after the cattle." "I'm sorry." "They got old Chitina Joe and Bill Gooder." "Who done it, Bill?" "Say a name." "They couldn't have picked a better spot for it." " Is there much of this in Dawson?" " Ain't ever happened before." "We're nice people in Dawson." "We don't go around stealing and killing like they do in Skagway." "Ain't never happened before." "Take care of them." "Bring along the horses." "We may need them." "Ain't you gonna look at what you hit?" "Why?" "I don't know." "I might know him." "Aren't you really interested?" " Is there any reason why I should be?" " That man's a thief." " That's not why I shot him." " Why did you?" "Because he shot at me." "Jeff, come over here!" "Seems like I seen him in Skagway, but I can't be sure." "Well, guess I was wrong." "Hi, Rube!" "Rube, thought you was going home to Maggie." "What happened?" "What else could happen when you back queens against aces?" "I went bust." "Renee, where's your pa?" "He went to Vienna to study stomachs." "You see Chitina Joe on your way out?" "He left here three days ago with Bill." "I seen him." "Joe's dead." "Who could have killed him?" "So is Bill Gooder." "Both of them robbed and killed in Two Mile." "Nothing like this ever happened here before." "I knew it was coming." "I warned you." "Where there's gold, there's stealing." "Where there's stealing, there's killing." "I knew it was coming." "You didn't know nothing." "Don't go pretending like you did." "We'll talk this out sensible later." "He did know, Hominy." " Luke said where there's gold..." " Dusty, why don't you stop moaning?" "You're always bellyaching about the food." " Now keep shut." " Food, you call it?" "Moose, caribou and bear." "And them ain't young bears." "Them's old bears." "Hey, look." "Look at that beef!" "I want me a steak about 10 inches thick." "At $5 a pound?" "I don't care what it costs." "I'll pay." "I ain't had me a steak in six months." "Don't get too happy till we find out what cost the cows." " Rube, how much for your beef?" " Talk to the man." "Mister, I'm Hominy and she's Grits." "How much for your cows?" "I haven't decided yet." "When you do, let me know." "I may buy them." " I never did like that woman." " I don't like her now." "Why don't you stay in Skagway where you belong?" "Dawson ain't for you." " Really?" " She's asking for it." "I don't need no prompting." "On account of Skagway was a good town before you moved in." "Robbing and cheating miners with your bad whiskey and fancy women." "You made the place smell to high heavens." "But that weren't enough." "We worked hard in the gold field, and you'd take it away in Skagway." "Now you come to Klondike to catch them in the gold fields!" "Let me tell you, woman, you ain't got Mr. Gannon backing you... with his gun and his badge." "Not in Dawson." "You ain't welcome." " How much for your cows?" " How much am I offered?" "$1 a pound on the hoof and that'll dress down to about... $5 for eating beef, and I'll buy them all!" "$1.50." "$1.50's been bid." "Do I hear $2?" "I'm tired of eating bear stew." "I'll offer $2 a pound for one cow." "Dusty, you keep shut!" "$1.75!" "$1.75 I'm bid." "Do I hear $2?" "This is the finest beef that ever come into the Klondike." "Here come Molasses with another bear, and it's a real old one." "Mister, I'll give you $50 for one slice of beef!" "Keep shut, Dusty!" "No." "All or none, mister!" "$1.75 once, twice..." "$2." "Yeah, Miss Castle got the money." "Bear stew tonight, boys!" "Bear stew, that's all!" " You just bought a herd of cattle." " Stop by this evening, and I'll pay you." " Stop by where?" " The Dawson Castle." "It's going up right now, there." "I'll be there." "Pete, drop us off in front." "Can't wait to get some stew." "That Dawson Castle's quite a place, isn't it?" "Jeff, you shouldn't have sold her your beef." "Hominy's has been here since Dawson started." "Look what you did to her." " What have I done?" " You took away all of her customers." "Miss Castle offered $2." "There are things more important than money." " Come on, I'll buy you a beef stew." " I hate beef stew!" "Whiskey, please." "Two whiskies." " Is that mine?" " Part of it." "You'll get the rest in the morning." "Ma'am, I'm Yukon Sam." "I got a claim worth $60,000." "Might even be worth $1 million." "Rube, ain't that right?" "It's a good claim, all right." "One of the best!" "Worth $50,000 or better." "You heard Rube." "He only tell the truth." " I'm sure he does." " Then give me a pencil." " I'll sign a tab for $1,000." " No, sorry." "We only play for cash." " You don't trust me?" " I don't trust any man." "Rube, buy me a drink, will you?" "Go on." "Give him a drink." " Is there any particular reason?" " For not trusting men?" "I trusted a man once." "That's quite a coincidence." "I trusted a woman." "Have a couple of glasses and a bottle." "Cost me a home in San Francisco, carriages, servants." "Now ask me how a nice girl like me got into a bad trade like this." " What's bad about it?" " Ma'am, I got that lucky feeling." " Sure you won't trust me?" " Very sure." "Wanna buy my claim?" "I'll give you $10,000." " But it's worth $50,000." " $10,000." " $20,000." " $30,000." " $40,000." " You just bought yourself a claim." " Here you are." " All right, sir." "All right." "Pay the man off." "No, just give me a marker for $1,000." "You see, I trust people." " He'll be sorry." " Thanks for the drink." "Look at this!" "We're in business." "We don't want no business." "We just want to get out." "Funny thing about gold." "It don't jump out of the ground." "You gotta dig it out." "Don't worry." "We're gonna dig." "We're gonna start right now." "How much cost a couple of shovels?" " Yours are on the house." " Good." "You owe me $20,000 in our deal." "I'll pick it up tomorrow morning." "It'll be here." "Good luck." "I thought we was gonna buy that ranch in Utah and settle down." "Here, take one." " Never thought I'd come to this." " Come on." "Jeff boy, we got twins!" "Look at them." "It's just a case of knowing how." "Here, put them in the bank." "How much you figure we got now, counting what's in the shack?" "$70,000, $80,000, along with the price of the cattle." "Look at that." "Where's Tom McGrew's claim?" "He's over yonder, just the other side of the stream." " You'll find Tom working the slew." " Not anymore, you won't." "Why not?" "He's dead." "Dead?" "How'd he get dead?" "He got in a little argument over at the Dawson Castle with Ives here." "Here." " What you shutting down for?" " I'm going hunting." "Hunting?" "We don't need no meat." "Maybe not." "What we need is a way out of here." "You're wasting time." "There ain't but one way out." " That's through Skagway." " Not if you go along the river." "I met an Indian the other day, a Chilkat." "He claims a trail all the way to Juneau." "Yeah, but did you see the trail?" "I will today." "Maybe I'd better ask Rube." "He knows this country..." "Now don't ask anybody!" "That's the way people get killed, talking." "I know, but I thought maybe Rube could help us." "I just can't make you understand, can I?" "I don't need other people." "I don't need help." "I can take care of me." "And in a pinch..." "I can take care of you, too." "Guess you can at that." "Here comes Rube." "Remember what I told you." " I won't say nothing, not a word." " Remember that." "You all quitting early?" " Why don't you eat with us at Hominy's?" " And eat bear stew?" "No, thanks." " I'm going hunting." " But it's tasty the way Hominy cooks it." " Then there's something new." " What's that?" " It arrived today." "A piano!" " A piano?" "A piany?" "Why couldn't that old walrus pack in a sheep, or pig, or goat, or..." "You can't play a goat!" " Hi, Porcupine." "Where you going?" " Home to Arizony." "I got mine." "So has Tanana." "Yeah, gonna buy me a hotel and sit on the porch with my wife." "No working, no cooking." "Just sitting, rocking... and waving howdy to the neighbours as they ride past." "We're getting us a ranch up in Utah." "We're gonna settle down and stay put until old Gabe blows the horn." "Ain't that for true, Jeff?" "Did you sell your claim?" "Yeah." "To the Castle woman, for cash." "Then you got robbed." "We don't care on account of she's so pretty and we're so rich." "Be you going through Skagway?" "Be there another way?" "I hear tell about the river." "Yeah, but we can't swim, and that water's so cold." "Goodbye, Tanana." "Bye." "Take care of yourself." "I didn't say nothing, did I?" "Give me my rifle." "Those flirtatious tulips" "Naughty tulips" "Whisper through the garden" "That someone is in love" " The bluebells are ringing" " Hear them ring" "Amaryllis sigh" " Sweet Williams are singing" " Hear them sing" "Black-eyed Susans cry" "Pretty little primrose" "Dainty primrose" "How can you say no" "When tulips love you so" "How can you say no" "When tulips love you so" "Come on, honey, you sing." "No, no more." "You'd better, else them old walruses is gonna start bellowing again." "How are you?" "I'll sing." "Hi, Jeff." "Where you been?" "Hunting." "What'd you get?" "Pete boy, what happened?" "They jumped us in Two Mile." "I think I got one." "And Porcupine?" "He's dead." "Whereabouts did it happen..." "Stop asking fool questions." "Can't you see the man's shot full of holes?" "Gimme some petticoat." "Use your own!" "I ain't got one." "Sourdough, get me some water, will you?" "Stand back." "Let me see if I can plug up some of these." "Never mind the water." "Take him out back, boys." "Take him outside." "You're the law up here." "Why don't you do something about them killings?" "Yes, I'm the law." "At least, I represent the law in Yukon Territory." " About 50,000 square miles of it." " Why aren't there more of you?" "Because yesterday this was a wilderness." "We didn't expect you to pour in by the thousands." " But now that you're here, we'll protect you." " When?" "There'll be a post established here in Dawson early in May." "What happens between now and May?" "You gonna be here to keep order?" " Part of the time." " What about the rest of the time?" "Pick yourselves a good man." "Swear him in." "Have him act as marshal till you pull out in the fall." "Who say we're gonna pull out?" "We're gonna stay right on here through the winter." "We're gonna make this a real town." "You mean permanent?" "Sure enough." "We're gonna have lampposts and sidewalks." " Might even have ourselves a church." " I can sing hymns." "I got a wife and kids." "Might be I move them in." "Build them a real home with a porch, a bathtub, and everything." "We can build a school and a courthouse." "Now, wait a minute before you build this courthouse." " Who we gonna pick as marshal?" " Who's handy with a gun?" "He is." "Isn't that what you told me, Ben?" " He's really handy." " He the one who faced up to Mr. Gannon... and took back his cows when they were stole?" "I was with him in Two Mile Pass when Chitina Joe got shot." "He knocked a man out of the saddle at better than 200 yards." "How is he up close?" "He don't let them get up close." "Well, how about it?" "I'm not interested." "Don't say you ain't interested until you give it a little thought." "I'm not interested!" "He just ain't got no guts." "You're wrong about him, Hominy." "He don't scare worth a nickel." "Maybe he don't like us." "Then we don't like him." "We don't want no part of him." "Now who we gonna elect for marshal?" "How about Rube?" "Yes, Rube is the man we want." "Ben, where'd you hide the coffee?" "What?" "I found the sugar but where's the coffee?" "I didn't hide the coffee." "We're out." "We're fresh out almost." "You'll find half a cup in that small soup can, the one marked "salt."" "That's not enough." "It's more than enough if you know how to make it." "It's getting so I gotta be the chief cook, and the biscuit-baker... and everything else around here." " What you doing?" " I'm packing." " I can see you're packing, but what for?" " We're pulling out tonight." " We can't pull..." " I should have told you before... but I didn't want you gabbing." "I don't." "We ain't pulling out..." " on account of we can't." " Why not?" "We made an agreement." "When Rube got elected marshal... everyone agreed to stay the winter." "I told you." "I didn't agree." "But I told you about it!" "And I told you Rube and all that crowd are fools." "All this talk about schools, churches, law and order." "Law and order cost lives." "It means somebody has to stand up and get shot at." "That's not why I came to Dawson." "We've got ours, and we're getting out." "At least, I'm getting out." "You mean, you're going anyways, even if I don't go along?" "I'm going." "Now look, Jeff." "You and me's been together a lot of years." "It's been good, real good." "I ain't gonna be around too much longer." "I'm getting old." "But I sort of figured we'd go on together until my time come." "Come on, now, you're not that old." "I didn't talk about splitting up." "It's you." "Ever since you've been talking to Rube and Hominy..." "No, it ain't only that!" "You keep talking to them." "You and me seen a lot of towns get born, cow towns and boomtowns." "We even put a ranch together and watched it grow." "Then you wanted to go to the far country, we moved on." "Always moving." "Thought you'd like it here with Renee, Rube, and Hominy." "They're nice folks." "Better than any we ever met before." "All right, I'll go along, but where's it all gonna end, boy?" "We just going on and on?" "Well, maybe we'll end up on that ranch in Utah." "Right now, we got an awful lot of money to spend." "What you gonna buy that's better than what we got?" "We got friends in Dawson." "You gonna buy new ones?" "Come on, let's get that coffee." "Sounds like Miss Castle got a new piany." "Sounds like she got a lot of things." "Let's get the coffee over in the Hash House." "We can get the coffee right in here." "Come on." "Hello, Jeff!" "Ronda tells me you and Ben been doing real good." "We ain't complaining." "I hope you got enough to pay what you owe the government." "It's a tidy sum." "Did you come up to collect?" "No." "Yukon ain't under my jurisdiction, I'm sorry to say." "However, I'll hang you when you come through Skagway in the fall." "Ain't no hurry." "No, that can wait." "I'd like to get some coffee, 2 pounds of coffee." " That ain't enough." " Then we can come in and buy more." " Come in?" " You've been waiting to dance." " Try your luck with Goldilocks." " Me dance?" "This is ridiculous." " Do you drink in the daytime?" " Sure, if it's good whiskey." " Will you join me?" " Thanks, Jeff." "Yeah, I will." "I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing up here in Dawson." "That's your business." "I knew I was gonna like you." "I'm gonna stake me a claim, maybe two or three." "Skagway's paying out." "Could be I'll settle here permanent." "Dawson's gonna like that." "How about that coffee?" "Who all's name is Burt Madden?" "My name's Madden." "This notice for filing a claim, did you write it?" "Yeah, I wrote it." "That's my claim." "The markers have been up for over three months." "I figure maybe you made a mistake?" "Pick it up." "Then put it back where you found it." "I tell you, that's my claim." "I said, pick it up." "Dusty never shot a gun." "He didn't know how." "Chances is, it wasn't even loaded." "Was I supposed to know that?" "No, you weren't supposed to know." "And I want that coffee ground." "Take him outside." "What's going on here?" "Looks like you got a killing on your hands, Rube." "I understand you're the marshal." "Who done the killing?" "I did." "Gonna lock him up?" "We ain't got no jail yet." "But I'll take your guns and work out a fair trial for you." "You'll take my guns?" "Take them." " Go on, Marshal, take them!" " Give them to me." "I like guns." "Don't be afraid." "He won't bite you." "Just unfasten your gun belt." "You unfasten it." "Hold on, Rube." "There isn't any reason for a man getting himself killed, if he doesn't have to." " Isn't that right, Mr. Gannon?" " That's a point." "Good point." "Why don't you go back to the nice people before you get hurt?" "I didn't expect that from you." "You shamed him." "Rube would rather be dead." "But he's not dead." "I ain't fit to wear this." "It just ain't right." "What they gonna do now?" "Yukon can't stand up to Mr. Gannon." "If they have sense, they'll leave town while they can." "Yeah, but they was gonna build a town." "I guess maybe you're right." "Maybe it ain't none of our business." "You sure this back trail takes us to Juneau?" "As far as the river." "Then we get on a little old raft?" "Always the long way." "You know I don't like boats." "This is the raft you built?" "Get these branches off here." "Sure hope it floats." "She'll float all right." "I tried her." "What we gonna do with the horses?" "Pull the saddles and turn them loose." "There's lots of good grazing here." "Why don't we leave the boat here and ride down to Skagway?" "We wouldn't have no trouble while Mr. Gannon's in Dawson." "That's just what he wants us to do." "Then they'd jump us at Two Mile Pass." "Untie that rope, and we'll ease her down into the water." " What do you do, just pull it?" " Just pull it." "Come on now, ease her down." "Ease your line down." "There she goes." "There." "Did you bring the bacon and the flour?" "I brung it all." "We should have brought a lot more, too." "It's gonna be a long walk after we leave the river, and I like to eat." "What would you rather do, carry gold or bacon?" "Here's something you can carry, two more pounds of coffee." "I can starve a little, but I can't go without coffee." "Where'd you get those?" "We only had 2 pounds... so I went to the store yesterday, got a couple more." " Ben, didn't I..." " I didn't say nothing." " Are you sure you didn't say any..." " Honest, Jeff, I didn't." "Now get these horses unloaded." "Let's get out of here." "I didn't mean to do no wrong, Jeff." "I just love my coffee." "When we have our place in Utah, I'm gonna have coffee every blessed hour..." "And you told me he was dead." " I told you to leave that man alone." " You've been doing too much telling." "From now on, you're gonna listen to me." "I'm getting tired of listening to that bell." " I'll go turn it off." " No." "He'll keep." " He wouldn't thank you." " But somebody's got to help him." "Come on, Rube." "Wake up!" "No, don't move your hand." "Don't move your shoulder, either." "The muscle is torn up but the bone is all right." "What, your dad want you to be a doctor, too?" "He taught me a lot of things." " What about Ben?" "I tried to dig a..." " I took care of him." "I also made some coffee and some stew." "What made you come out here?" "Someone has to help you." "Why?" "That's a silly question." "You've got to help people when they need help." "What kind of a world will it be if everybody was like..." "Like me?" "Open your mouth." " Is that what you were gonna say?" " Now, we don't talk." "We just eat and we sleep." "Then we get well and strong again." "You think I was wrong?" "Don't you?" "Say it." "Go on, say what you're thinking." "We don't talk." "We just eat and sleep." "I think she's right, Jeff." "How do you like your coffee?" "Black?" "The coffee come after the soup." "I'll wait." "Nobody asked you to wait." "Ask me." "Yeah, I want her to stay." "Thanks for everything, Renee." "Don't thank me." "Thank her!" " What caused that?" " Jealousy." " Jealousy?" "She's only a child..." " She's a woman, so am I. Coffee?" "No, I don't want any coffee." "What about the 2 pounds Ben came in to buy?" "Did you sell it to him?" "I liked Ben." "Did you sell it to him?" "If I had, he would have been alive today." "But you're right about Ben." "He talked too much." "Gannon and the others listened." "I learned that tonight." "Mr. Gannon." "Just wait till my hand gets better." "That's exactly what he wants you to do." "Ben's dead." "Getting killed or killing Gannon isn't gonna bring him back." "Look, I'm pulling out, and you're going with me." "We do well together." "Think it over?" " Having trouble?" " And if I am?" "Maybe I can help you." "I don't want your help." "Where's Rube?" "Where you put him: at the Dawson Castle." "Marshal, your bottle's empty again." "Here, have a fresh one." "Mr. Gannon, the citizens seem to be unhappy." "What did you re-stake my claim for?" "Your claim?" "Yeah, my claim." "That fellow, Ives, he took down my markers... and put up this piece of paper with your name on it." " He did the same with mine, too." " Is this your name, Mr. Gannon?" "Yes, that's my name." "I'd advise you to put that back where you found it." "I will not." "Rube and I staked that claim." "It belongs to us." " Isn't that true, Rube?" " What difference does it make?" "You can't lick them anyhow." "I don't care what Rube said." "I see him stake that claim last year." "And did you see him file a notice of that claim in Ottawa?" "That's the proper place to file a claim." "We're gonna have a claim office here in Dawson soon as the Mounties come." "We're gonna have a courthouse and everything, come the spring." "Then we'll file our claims." "That's very interesting." "Only, don't file any of my claims." "And that's what you're holding in your hands right now: my claims." "You're not gonna get away with it, Mr. Gannon." "But I already have, Marshal." "It's finished, done." "Then it's up to me to undo it!" "You're real slow, Marshal." "Now get out, and take that with you." "Come on, Rube." "Give me a gun!" "He ain't gonna get away with this!" "I won't let you do it, Yukon." "Ain't no sense in a man letting himself get killed if he don't have to." "Ain't that what you said?" "And another thing." "If you're wise, you'll get out of Dawson." "Don't you agree, Jeff?" "Can I lend you a gun?" "Yes, if you can lend him an arm to go with it." "I warned you." "Where there's gold, there's stealing and killing." "Like he said, we gotta get out of town." "Let's talk it over first." "Now do you understand why I wanted us to get out of Dawson?" "I'm beginning to understand a lot of things." "In the meantime, we're not gonna do anything foolish, are we?" "We aren't?" "A little, perhaps." "Like trusting one another." "But that's the way it goes when a woman falls in love." "I'm in love with you, Jeff." "Get your packs made up." "Take your belongings, gold, and everything." "Get back here as fast as you can." "Are you all just gonna pull out?" "What about that courthouse, school, and church you were talking about?" "Who are you to ask?" "I wouldn't do that." "Everyone is pulling out." "We figured your claim was abandoned." "It isn't." " Mr. Gannon ain't gonna like this." " You tell Mr. Gannon I'll be in to see him." "He'll be waiting." "I told him you'd be waiting." "I always knew he'd turn into a public-minded citizen." "Let's have a little quiet!" "It seems a gentleman's coming to visit us." "In fact, he seems to have arrived." "Do you still want to quiet that bell?" "Why not?" "Madden!" "Mr. Gannon!" "I knew Madden couldn't take him." "I'll be right with you, Jeff!" "You'll know when to come out." "Jeff, look out!" "You crazy fool!" "Why didn't you take care of you?" "That's a funny question." "All right!" "Get out or fight!" "We can't fight the whole town." "Show them the trail, Yukon." "And put on your badge." "Right out yonder's the trail, and don't ever come into our town again!" "You went and got yourself hurt again." "I know." "We eat, we sleep, we rest, and soon we'll be all better again."