"Hey, I'll bet you 10 bucks the steps of that train don't stop no more than... 1 foot from that line." "Would you try to show a little respect?" "5 bucks!" "Cut it out, Tom." "We're here for a funeral." "Which way is town?" "Just follow the road." "You can't miss it." "You, uh, you know him?" "No... but I know that type." "I don't like it." "What do you suppose he's doing here?" "We'll probably find out soon enough." "Excuse me." "Isn't anybody else getting off here?" "No, sir." "Well, I guess he ain't coming." "Might as well go on with the funeral and get it over with." "Oh, that's a good way of putting it." "You two guys could have won yourselves 5 bucks apiece." "Did, uh, anybody else get off that train... uh, besides yourself?" "No." "You know a man name of John Elder?" "I know." "I know of him." "Would you be afraid of him?" "No." "But you must be." "That's usually why people hire me- because they're worried about somebody or scared." "Don't go jumping to any conclusions." "I didn't know John Elder was even in these parts." "Well, he probably isn't, so maybe all you'll have to do to earn your money is just hang around for a while and then go back on another train." "Look..." "I don't care what I have to do as long as I get paid." "You'll get paid." "Go ahead." "Stow your gear in the house." "What are you hiring a gunman for, Pa?" "You're too young to remember John Elder, aren't you, David?" "What do the Elders have to do with us?" "Not the Elders." "Just John." "Well, what does he have to do with us?" "When he left here, you see, this ranch belonged to his family." "But this is our land." "I mean, we own this." "Of course it is, son." "Sure, it is." "It's just that he might want to figure it differently." "We need this land." "We're going to keep it." "That's a-a peculiar way to dress for a funeral, isn't it?" "Could turn out to be a lot more than a funeral." "Why, considering John Elder didn't get off the train?" "That still doesn't mean he won't show up." "No, no, but even so, the man isn't likely to shoot up his own mother's funeral, at least, not without a pretty good reason." "He might think he's got a good reason." "Besides, there's that one that got off the train." "Whoa." "Ben,John Elder isn't wanted for anything around here." "Remember that." "He's a gunfighter." "That puts him on one side and me on the other." "You taught me that in the first place." "Almighty God, we commend the soul of our dear and pretty sister departed Katie Elder to your care as we commit her body to the ground beside her loved husband." "Katie Elder- a woman beloved of all, a hard-working, honest woman." "She helped in your work, O Lord, in a thousand ways." "She was a friend to all, a comfort to the sick." "She has left this world a little better for having lived in it, and those who knew her and loved her are better for having lived in the warmth of her understanding." "Katie Elder lived here in Clearwater for many years." "All of us gathered here today knew her well." "She raised four sons" "John, Tom, Matt, and Bud, the youngest." "She was a woman who wanted nothing for herself, wanted only to give rather than to receive." "She devoted her life to helping her family, her friends." "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust, in the sure and certain belief in the resurrection unto the eternal life." "O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered, answer our prayers on behalf of Thy servant's soul and grant her an entrance into the land of light and joy and the fellowship of Thy saints." "Amen." "Amen." "You know, she sold me a blind horse once... a woman, doing that to me." "She really suckered me good." "This is Katie." "She was named after your mother." "She's a handsome baby." "I just thought you would like to know it." "There's one of you missing, ain't there?" "Yes, sir." "John, the oldest." "He moves around a lot." "Well, if there's anything I can do..." "Thank you, Parson, you've done plenty." "Done what?" "Wrote a few letters?" "No-No, sir." "That was a real nice sermon you gave, sir." "It wasn't enough." "She belonged to have pretty words spoke over her, and I didn't do it." "I thought you spoke good, Parson, real good." "Not good enough." "Not for her." "But I don't suppose you'd know that." "Billy." "Hello,John." "You ought to have better sense than that- coming up behind a man." "You're as fast as you used to be, maybe faster." "Been, uh, getting lots of practice?" "Still haven't got a newspaper around here, huh?" "No, but we have a gossip about every 20 feet." "Why did you come into town the back way?" "You figuring on trouble?" "There's always somebody looking for some." "Clearwater's no different than any other town, but that's one thing I don't want, Billy- trouble." "How long you planning to stay?" "Well, I don't know." "I just got here." "People usually let you take your hat off a- fore they ask you to leave." "Well, I'm not asking you to leave,John." "I'm just asking how long you figure to stay." "Is there any reason why I shouldn't stay?" "Well, uh, yes." "As a matter of fact, there's a couple of reasons." "For one, this ain't your home anymore,John." "You gave that up some years ago." "Go on." "And two, another man came to town today." "I understand he's real good with a gun." "Who is he?" "I don't know." "He's a stranger." "But I understand he hires out." "And three, I've got myself a young deputy." "He's real conscientious about his job." "Am I wanted for anything, Billy?" "No." "Then I got a good idea." "Yeah?" "You send that conscientious young deputy of yours to run that other fella out of town." "Well, now, I guess that'd be one way of doing it." "The only thing is, he's not wanted for anything, either." "I come to town to see my ma buried, Billy, and after that, to maybe say hello to my brothers." "Any objections?" "Well, no." "Fine." "You want to see the boys, go that way." "You won't have to go through town." "The ranch is over there." "Not anymore." "Morgan Hastings owns it now." "Kate was living in the Lupin place when... she, uh... died." "When did that happen, Billy?" "Your pa was killed about six months ago." "Who did it?" "I haven't been able to find out." "John... don't do anything foolish." "You've been trying real hard not to tell me something, Billy." "What is it?" "Hey, you know that man that didn't get off the train, the one that you and I ain't scared of?" "What about him?" "He's back." "How do you know it's him?" "He's a big fella- about 6'4", 200 pounds." "Tough-looking." "If there's any trouble, make it look like self-defense." "Now, nobody told me about John Elder until I got here, and I ain't about to let him draw first." "You'll do nothing unless I tell you to." "All right, you tell me... but I'll handle it my own way." "I knew it." "Now the Elders are going to be asking how we got the old man's place." "Stick to your bookkeeping." "I'll handle the Elders." "You know, it's not going to be easy." "Nothing comes easy." "You want to own a town, you got to put out something." "I was so little when you and John left" "Is he as fast with a gun as everyone says?" "Fast?" "When he was a kid, he was the fastest." "I was afraid to be in the same room." "But let me point one thing out, kid" "That work doesn't pay too well." "I recommend my line of work." "Yeah..." "larceny." "Well, the hours are better, and you get shot up a lot less." "Just the same, I wish he'd showed up." "You can stop wishing." "He's here." "John." "Matt." "Been a long time." "Time ain't made you any prettier to look at." "Tom!" "It hasn't helped you any, either." "Don't tell me this is the kid!" "Yep." "Kid?" "I'm almost 18!" "18, huh?" "Bud's starting college this year." "College- How about that?" "When I went to school, if anybody got past 4 plus 4 is 8," "I cried." "Well, Ma..." "Ma said she wanted me to go." "Yeah." "You, uh, got here a little late,John." "We just got back from the funeral." "Well, I was there, Matt, watching from a hill." "Katie wouldn't have wanted any trouble." "Oh, it never stopped you before." "How did she die?" "Well, Doc Isdell said she just wore herself out." "She had a stroke and couldn't talk, then the preacher wrote you them letters." "I came back to see her about three years ago." "Yeah, for money to put into that hardware business." "At least I came." "That's more than you did." "It didn't matter to Katie about me." "I never was her favorite." "Well, it seems that you and Bud were the only ones that saw Ma in the last few years." "Like Matt says, I've been away, too." "Yeah, well..." "Is it true what they say about you?" "Only the bad things, Bud." "How many men have you killed?" "You better ask Tom that." "He seems to know more about me than I do, and that's pretty smart, considering we haven't seen each other for 10 years." "Well, I'm asking you." "How many?" "What did Katie tell you?" "Not Mom, other people." "Whoa." "Well, howdy, Miss Gordon." "Hello, Bud." "Miss Mary runs a boardinghouse." "These are my brothers, ma'am" "Hello, Matt..." "Tom." "Hello,John." "It's been a long time." "Say, you're not that skinny little kid that lived next to the Fergusons, are you?" "No." "I'm the skinny little kid who lived next door to the Mastersons." "I hate to break in on your grief, but you'll need some food." "Katie asked me to look in on you... if you came to the funeral." "That's, uh, mighty nice of you, ma'am." "I wasn't doing it for you, or any of you." "I'm doing it because Katie asked me to." "She liked that rocker." "She seemed to have confided a great deal in you, Miss Gordon." "Maybe if she'd had some of her sons around her, she wouldn't have had to confide in strangers." "She told me what fine men you were- never forgetting your mother, sending her money regular, helping her send Bud through school." "She was so proud of you... her tall sons, for whom she kept making up lies so she could hide her shame." "Blamed Texas for taking her sons." ""Texas is a woman," she used to say," ""a big, wild, beautiful woman." "You get a kid raised up to where he's got some size, and there's Texas, whispering in his ear and smiling, saying, 'Come on out with me and have some fun. "'" ""It's hard enough to raise children anyplace,"" "she'd say," ""but when you got to fight Texas, a mother hasn't a chance. "" "That's why she pushed Bud so hard." "She let Texas beat her with the rest of you." "She was going to see Bud through college or die." "Well... she died." "Miss Gordon?" "Tell me, why did she set so much store by this rocker?" "Your pa gave it to her as a present." "She wouldn't have swapped it for a diamond ring." "Well, thanks for being so... nice to her." "Nice to her?" "More like she was nice to me, or anybody." "She deserved better from her own." "Miss Gordon, we" "I see you're still wearing your gun." "Anybody hungry?" "Hey, I'll bet you 10 to 1 she's a good cook, too." "Oh." "I'm glad I didn't bet." "I'd have lost." "How did anybody in this... family ever get to college?" "Well, I didn't want to go to college." "It was either that or jail." "For what?" "They said I stole a horse." "People are trying to stick me with things like that all the time." "Did you steal it?" "I rode him, but I didn't steal him." "Ma wouldn't back me up." "She'd been after me to go anyway, so I went." "You went where?" "To the School of Mines." "It was September the 3rd." "The train got to go the week before school started, and I went to Colorado Springs and clumb Pikes Peak." "Why?" "Well, it was there." "Just a minute." "You done what to Pikes Peak?" "I clumb it." "Not clumb." "Climbed." "What's the difference?" "I got to the top." "There's lots of difference." "There ain't no such word as clumb." "What about the horse?" "She went to a lot of bother to get you an education." "Why don't you use it?" "Why did you steal the horse?" "I didn't steal it." "I was in bed, and I heard someone talking, so I looked out the window." "It was old man Hyselman yammering at Ma, claiming I stole his gray horse." "A gray horse?" "What did Katie say?" "Well, she jawed right back, told him to go look if he wanted." "They went in the barn, and darned if he didn't come out leading his horse." "Ma hanging her head, saying, "Yes, sir. "" "Then she come in all scared." "Ma scared?" "I never saw her like that." "She said he was coming back with the sheriff and I'd better get out of the state." "I took off my pants, put on my blue suit, and left on the train." "That ain't much of a story." "I liked the part where he changed his pants." "I was just starting to get interested." "Oh, very funny." "Ha ha." "Oh... funny." "Bud, how long did Ma live here?" "Well... we moved over just after Pa died." "1,200 acres of the best land anywhere." "I wonder why she sold." "A woman couldn't run a big spread by herself." "It must have brought some money." "Let's go to the bank, settle up." "We'll split it four ways." "31/2 would be more like it." "Bud needs money for college." "I ain't going back to college." "I'm going with him." "There's just one little thing you're forgetting" "You ain't been invited." "I'd take you with me, but I don't know where I'm going." "I ain't going where I've already been." "I can take care of myself." "What do you say we settle everything first and talk about him later?" "Now you're talking." "First we better find out if she left any debts." "Debts?" "What debts?" "The funeral, for one thing." "Which one of you paid for that?" "She probably owes a debt at the store." "That can't be much." "Tom, I'm going to Hyselman's." "You and Bud go to Peevey's store." "Matt, you talk to Dr. Isdell." "We'll meet back at the bank." "Well, howdy, Bud." "You don't look any different than when you first went to college." "I expected him to come back with a flat hat with a tassel and wearing glasses, maybe, and looking kind of smart." "Mr. Peevey, you remember my brother Tom?" "Howdy." "I was sorry to hear about your ma." "There ain't much a man can say, excepting I miss her as much as I'd miss my own ma." "We came to see about Ma's bill." "We'd like to settle up." "Oh." "I think I have it inside." "Come right in." "Let me see now." "Here it is." "Well, how much is that?" "$6.20." "I'll cut you for it." "High card, double or nothing." "Hey, Ma!" "Yes, sonny?" "How much were those dresses Katie Elder made?" "I thought you paid her." "No, dear." "I haven't paid for them yet." "Why not?" "The Elder boys want to settle up." "4 dresses, 2.50 apiece, and 2 guitar lessons at 50 cents apiece." "4 dresses at 2.50 apiece and 2 guitar lessons at 50 cents." "That means that I owe you" "$4.80." "Your ma took guitar lessons?" "I figured, in her old age, she could earn a living playing the guitar in the saloon." "Want to hear her?" "No, thank you, Mr. Peevey." "Some other time." "Oh." "Don't forget your money." "Thank you." "Drop in anytime." "I wish I could tell you that you owed me a hundred dollars, but you don't." "She came in here one day with a big gray horse to sell." "She said, "Henry, go get your gray horse. "" "Well, sir, they made as pretty a matched team as you ever want to see, so I said, "What's your price, Katie?"" "She said, "One funeral. "" "And I-I said, "Whose?"" "She said, "Mine. " That's the way it was." "That the same gray horse that Bud stole?" "You heard about that?" "Yeah." "Katie and I rigged that up to scare Bud into going to college." "I put that horse in her barn myself and come back yelling like a Comanche." "Her screaming back at me like she was" "Oh, she was a wise one, your ma." "And my dad... you buried him, too." "Didn't you, Henry?" "Yeah." "High-spirited, he was." "He wasn't a man to back down to anyone." "I remember the time he was challenged by old Thad to a duel- your daddy being the challenged body, he had choice of weapons." "It being the 4th of July, he says, calm as you please," ""I choose Roman candles. "" "Well, sir, they stepped off the 10 paces, lit the Roman candles with the cigars, and they started popping." "Old Thad dark as thunder," "Bass laughing and yelling." "Blue and red balls of fire bouncing off him." "Him laughing so hard, he's missing Thad by 6 feet." "Finally, one of those balls of fire landed in your daddy's pants." "He grabs his bottom, ran for the watering trough, and set down in it." "Ha ha ha!" "It was the funniest duel I ever saw." "I declare it was." "How'd he die, Henry?" "Uh... from what I could see, it was from being shot in the back." "Did anybody ever find out who did it?" "I don't know anything about those things." "Better ask Billy or Ben Latta." "All right, Henry." "I figured he'd go to the bank and maybe to the store." "I wonder what he was doing at Hyselman's so long." "You want me to ask him?" "Yeah." "Wouldn't hurt to ask." "But just talk." "Well..." "Mr. Venner." "Come in." "Looks like you were expecting us." "I thought you might stop by." "Yes, sir." "We came over to settle the estate." "There's nothing left to settle." "Nothing?" "She didn't leave a dollar." "She had money here last year." "She paid for my schooling." "She must have left something." "She must have gotten something out of the old place." "That what she told you?" "She never said anything." "I took it for granted." "Where'd she get her money?" "Fine time to start worrying." "I watched her struggle for years- giving guitar lessons for coffee, fancy sewing to pay for your clothes, Bud." "Never a word out of her, except to praise you." "Have you looked into her closet?" "At her clothes?" "I'll tell you what you'd find- one blue dress for winter and one gray dress for summer." "What about the Lupin place?" "She didn't own the Lupin place." "I" " The bank let her have it for a roof over her head." "Of course she paid rent." "Oh, Katie wouldn't take anything off of anybody." "Not with her sons sending her money." "Now, if you plan to stay on here, you'll find that..." "Clearwater's changed." "Big business coming in." "We don't want any bad reputations around here." "Good day, gentlemen." "Mr. Venner, what did she do with the money she got from the ranch?" "Ma wouldn't just give that spread away." "I wouldn't know about that." "Did you keep records?" "We had a fire." "Sorry, but I can't remember every transaction." "Good day." "Every transaction or just this one?" "Well..." "I'd be obliged if you'd use the front entrance." "Your time will come to be carried out the other way." "What was John Elder doing in here?" "Talking." "Anyway, I don't see it's any of your affair." "I'm making it my affair." "Who are you?" "Mr. Hastings wants to know, and he sent me to find out." "I don't care if Mr. Hastings wants to know." "Oh, yes." "I can see where Mr. Hastings might be worried about what I might be talking about with Johnny Elder." "So you tell me, huh?" "No, I won't." "Get out of here." "Ha ha ha!" "Ha ha ha ha!" "Ha ha ha ha!" "Ha ha ha ha!" "Hey!" "You all right?" "Yeah." "Who is he?" "I don't know." "I never seen him before." "He works for Morgan Hastings." "He wanted to know what we were talking about." "Morgan Hastings?" "Yeah." "He's a man who moved in, bent on taking over the whole county." "He owns your ma's old place now." "Well, I came back to... ask you if you'd see after Mom's grave when you have a chance." "No, no." "I'd be obliged if you'd keep your money." "Looking after Katie would be a privilege." "Thanks, Henry." "Thank you." "It take you that long to give him a couple bucks?" "Let's go take a look at the old place." "What for?" "Let's say I'm homesick." "Boy, everything sure has changed, hasn't it?" "Remember we used to fool around on that big old barn?" "Tom, I was only a kid the time you fell from the loft." "You weren't even born." "Besides, I was pushed." "Somebody always kept pushing me out of that loft." "That's 'cause you bounced so good." "Everybody in the family kept bragging about how good you bounced." "Well, let's bounce on down." "Howdy." "This here is private property." "We're looking for a man named Morgan Hastings." "That's my father." "But he's not here." "He won't be back all day." "Then maybe you could give us some information." "See, this place used to be ours, and now it's yours." "We'd like to ask you some questions." "I won't answer any questions." "You better get off this property." "Wait a minute, sonny." "Don't get riled." "We're not" "I'm ordering you to get off this property." "Having trouble, Dave?" "Yeah." "No trouble, mister." "I'm John Elder, and these are my brothers." "I ordered them off this property, and they won't go." "That's not strictly true." "I won't take any more trouble from you." "Any more trouble?" "Him, he worked a fella over in town, and now you won't leave this man's property." "Well, either you'll leave peaceful, or I'll put you all under arrest." "Now I don't think we'd take too kindly to being arrested, mister." "That ain't going to make much difference one way or the other." "See?" "Now we ain't arrested." "You're going to be in serious trouble, resisting an officer." "We're going in with you, mister, straighten this out, but we ain't going in looking guilty." "Get on your horse." "We'll be back." "Billy." "Billy, you got to see this." "Come on, come on." "What happened, Ben?" "He got a little careless." "I ordered them off the Hastings place, and they jumped me." "We came in to straighten this out." "He had no right arresting us." "He's wearing a badge." "We weren't looking for trouble, just some answers." "Next time it might be a good idea to wait till I tell you to light out after somebody." "All right, you Elders, take off." "Go on." "I'll talk to Billy." "I'm going with him." "Billy." "Ever since I got home, somebody's either asking me to leave or pulling a gun on me." "You can't expect a gunfighter to be treated like a hero." "I'm no gunfighter." "You're his brother." "I've seen unfriendly towns before." "I can handle that." "At Katie's grave, you said the last thing you wanted was trouble." "It's up to you, Billy." "You drive me out, I'll be back." "That goes for me, too." "Why can't we get straight answers?" "Why didn't you tell us" "Bass was shot in the back?" "Does it make much difference which direction the bullet came from?" "Yes, if you're trying to find out whether he was murdered or not." "Well, uh, what do you want to know?" "What happened to our old place?" "If Pa sold it, there'd have been some money." "Not if he gambled it away." "Is that what happened?" "Hastings says so, and I see no reason to doubt him." "He had six witnesses to prove it." "Your, uh, your pa must have been pretty drunk." "He was going to be a better provider for Katie, win a fortune for her." "I don't know how she put up with him." "She loved him." "That was enough for her." "We all loved him, Billy." "It's just that when he got to gambling, hitting that bottle..." "How long after that card game was he shot?" "Same night." "Well, now, wouldn't you say that was a little coincidental, Billy?" "Well, now, uh... even if I did, I couldn't prove it." "Maybe we can help you." "I don't need any help." "And isn't it a little late to be wondering what happened?" "Who shot him, Billy?" "John, uh... stop digging around." "All it'll get you is trouble." "Trouble." "Hastings." "Miss Gordon, I, uh... want to talk to you about, uh, Katie's things." "Didn't have much, but we'd be pleased, and I'm sure she'd want you to have... anything of hers that you liked, like... maybe the rocking chair and things like that." "Why, thank you,John." "I'd like that very much." "Fine." "Well..." "I'll bring them by." "I can't stand a man that forces himself on a girl who wouldn't be caught dead with him." "They're sure a fine pair, Mr. Hastings." "The finest." "Southern hospitality, huh?" "Sorry, sir." "I was just feeling the balance of this beautiful weapon." "Finest brace of dueling pistols ever made." "You're two of the Elder boys." "That's right." "I'm sorry about your mother." "She was a wonderful woman." "Just wonderful." "Thank you." "After your father lost the ranch and passed on," "I offered to pay her for the ranch, but she wouldn't hear of it." "Well, now, why would you do that?" "Guilt, Mr. Elder." "Yes." "Guilt." "I wanted the ranch, yes." "I needed it." "This town can grow and become important, but it needs water power for a mill." "The ranch had the water power, but I..." "intended to buy it, not... win it in a card game." "Well, Mr. Hastings, no offense meant, but could we see the paper that transferred the ranch?" "Certainly." "Of course." "You have every right to." "Why, it's right here." "Yes." "Here it is." "This is where your father made his mark." "He couldn't write, remember?" "And the signatures of the other witnesses." "You're one of these witnesses?" "Of course." "All the rest of these witnesses work for you?" "Occasionally, yes." "What was the game you were playing the night Dad lost the ranch?" "The game?" "Oh, blackjack." "Blackjack?" "You sure it was blackjack?" "Of course I'm sure." "You know what Pa always told us" "He wouldn't be caught dead playing blackjack." "Shoot the first one of his kids he saw playing it." "Thought it was a woman's game." "Tell me, Mr., uh, Hastings, you know all the people in this town." "Who do you think was the dirty rat that killed our pa?" "Why ask me?" "Well, we aim to find out." "The way I remember it, we started playing blackjack with Pa when we were 3 or 4." "Yeah, well, we know that, but Hastings doesn't." "Oh." "Hey, Bud." ""Katie Duane... born Ohio. " No date." ""Married Bass Elder, September 8, 1850," "Clearwater, Texas. "" "We better keep this." "Why?" "Let's raffle it off." "So we'll give half the money to the parson." "Listen, I think we ought to get her a nice stone for her grave." "A big stone with nice writing, what you call a..." "A monument." "She'd like a monument." "Why spend money for a hunk of stone?" "Because it seems to me there ought to be something to remember her by." "The Ritters got their mother a marble angel pointing her finger." "At who?" "Nobody." "Pointing up, like this." "O.K. A marble angel." "Does it have to be an angel?" "Besides, take the Ritters' angel- some kid shot her finger off." "Now it looks like she's shaking her fist." "How about a marble lamb?" "How about a horse?" "A horse?" "For a grave?" "Well, Ma loved horses." "Not that much." "How'd you like a horse atop you for all eternity?" "What's happened to all of us?" "You said she'd like a monument." "But not that kind." "She wanted one of us, her family, to amount to something." "Well, she sure drew a flat blank zero." "Not yet." "Not if Bud goes back to school." "Hold on." "That's the monument she wants." "One of you go and amount to something." "It's too late for us." "I'm not going to be no monument." "I'm going with you." "We'll be famous like the Dalton brothers." "Yeah, they're famous, but they're just a bit dead." "They were hung." "Oh." "We keep the book." "Horses..." "John." "Good evening, Mary." "I, uh, brought the things." "Come on in." "This is a nice room." "Thank you." "How about... right here?" "That's fine." "This is very thoughtful of you,John." "Whenever I sit in it, I'll think of Katie." "I brought your things back, and also... we thought you should have this." "But it's your family Bible." "You keep it." "No." "A lot of the places I go, it wouldn't fit in." "All right." "I'll keep it, but it's yours whenever you want it back." "These are yours, too." "I know they weren't meant for an outsider, but, well, Katie wanted me to know about you." "I don't mind." "You stopped writing so long ago." "One of her real pleasures was reading over your old letters." "After learning them by heart, she gave them to me to read." "It's amazing anyone could read them." "My handwriting isn't exactly a thing of beauty." "But what you wrote was... at first." "Then I began to notice a change." "Your ma never did, but I did." "Everybody changes." "Not the way you did." "When I began hearing things about you, it wasn't even the same man who wrote those letters." "You're hunting who killed your father, aren't you?" "I sure am." "Whoever killed Bass probably stole the ranch from Katie." "That's the least I can do for her." "Why, so you can even a score, kill again, maybe in front of Bud so he can idolize his tough brother?" "Don't let Bud worship you because you're a killer." "All Katie wanted was Bud to go to college, to make the Elder name stand for something." "I'll be leaving now." "Thank you again for this." "Why wouldn't Katie want me to find Bass' killer?" "Because all that means is more killing, and Katie hated killing." "Bud, how much money you got on you?" "Me?" "Where would I get any money?" "You got nearly 5 bucks from Peevey." "Spend my own money for a drink?" "Pa would leave his grave." "Never spend your own money for booze, kid." "Watch me." "You just watch." "Two whiskeys." "Thank you." "Thank you, sir." "Well... down." "Bartender." "Yes, sir." "Hey, can a fella get a drink on credit around here?" "Sorry." "I'll get us another drink." "Ah... a beauty." "We'll get a drink 'cause we're having a raffle." "Raffle what?" "My eye." "My glass eye." "Who wants a chance on a made-to-order eye?" "Now, wait a minute." "If you're that thirsty, I'll buy the drink." "Thanks, but you wouldn't accept a drink if you couldn't return the favor." "Certainly not." "All right." "50 cents a chance, just 4 bits to win a $22 eye." "Why not?" "I always wanted a third eye." "You want to play poker or kid games?" "Kid games." "I'm losing money." "I'm in." "All right." "Don't touch it, now." "Look but don't touch." "I'm in." "Yeah." "Lay that money down here." "Never seen such a thing." "That's 9." "I got 7." "Well, that's 17, 18, 19... $9.50." "I need one more for an even 10 bucks." "There it is." "I want that eye." "All right!" "Now, let's see." "We need 19 white chips and 1 blue one." "The man that draws the blue chip is the winner of that beautiful little eye." "Shake them up good, Bud." "Who was first in?" "I was." "You get first draw." "Let's see who's the lucky winner" "Well, let's see who's going to win." "Get in there." "This tall, good-looking gentleman, go ahead." "See what you come out with." "Don't just stand there." "Ha ha ha!" "Seem to be all white chips." "Hold it, hold it." "This gentleman took two chances." "You're entitled to two draws." "May Lady Luck smile on you." "Let's see..." "He got it!" "I got her!" "Give me my eye." "It's over there." "It's over there." "You know, I might just have it made into a stick pin for Sunday." "Ned, how much will you take for it?" "Take for my peeper?" "You'll profit." "How about $3.00?" "No." "She's my good luck piece." "There goes my wedding." "My girl saw me with my patch once." "She turned away." "You look all right to me." "Pretend you're a girl, and you'd understand it spoils my manly beauty, right, boys?" "Sell it back!" "All right, all right!" "I'll sell her, but $5.00." "Split the difference and I'll buy you a drink." "Done." "Whiskey for the gentleman." "Give me one and one for the kid." "There." "Just a min" "Aren't you going to put it back in?" "Put it back?" "It'd be a little crowded in there." "Ha ha ha!" "Maybe that's funny to you, but not to me." "I say you're a liar and a cheat, just like your old man." "You knew my old man?" "Well enough to say that." "He was a drunk, too." "You're lying!" "He's a kid, Curley." "Stay out." "Guess he thinks he can ride along on his brother's reputation." "Frankly, I don't think so much of his brother, either." "Curley, he ain't armed." "But I am." "Stay out, Bud." "No!" "I don't think he's got the nerve." "Give him a gun." "He didn't mean nothing." "He called me a liar." "All I did was tell the truth." "Take mine, kid." "Go on... pick it up." "Heh heh heh..." "He comes from a no-good family that don't have the nerve" "John... this guy just called Pa a liar and a drunk." "That invitation to pick up a gun still hold for Johnny Elder?" "You got a chance to prove you don't think so much of him." "Tom, get him out of here." "Not till he eats his words." "Tom" "Didn't you hear me?" "He called Pa a liar and a drunk." "Well, I reckon that's what he was, kid." "Now, keep him out." "Heh heh, heh heh heh..." "Heh heh heh..." "John... get out." "Night, boys." "Where you going, mister?" "Finish your game." "Hey, Bud, ain't you going to eat?" "No!" "How can I eat when I think of what that skunk said about us?" "And him, the big gun everybody's always bragging about." "Well, he slunk with his belly dragging lower than anyone in the place." "Shut up." "I won't shut up!" "If you wouldn't, why not let me do something?" "He'd have chewed you up and spit you out." "You'd have been dead before your hand got halfway to that gun." "Another thing" "Katie'll have something to show for her life." "You're going back to school." "No, I ain't." "Oh, yes, you are if I have to hog-tie you." "I won't learn anything." "I can't make you do that." "Anyway, you don't want to tag along with me after I've muddied the Elders' name." "No, and that's for sure." "This was Ma's, and now it's mine." "I'm getting that guy." "Who's coming?" "You're not going anyplace." "You going to stop me?" "You bet I am, and that's for sure!" "Aah!" "What the hell did you hit me for?" "You stood there and let him hit me." "Oh, kid..." "Whoa-a-a..." "I got him!" "I got him!" "I got him!" "You got him?" "Yeah!" "Stay out of here!" "Uhh!" "Howdy." "Howdy." "I'm right sorry I missed the start of that." "Doing your spring housecleaning, eh?" "No." "We're just getting acquainted." "Haven't seen each other for some years." "I'm looking for Kate Elder." "Is she about?" "Well, this is where she lived." "We're her sons." "She died a few days ago." "I am sorry." "I extend my sympathy to y'all." "Thank you." "I never met Mrs. Elder, but I got a letter from her about a month ago." "Since I had business here," "I decided to pay her a visit." "I'm sorry I got here so late." "This is some letter." "Care to read it?" ""Mr. Charlie Bob Striker, Pecos, Texas. "" "That you?" "It is." "Well, this is Matt, Bud, and Tom, and I'm John Elder." "Howdy." ""Dear Mr. Striker." "It has been told to me that you have too many horses." "If this is true, you have my sympathy as I have been horse-poor myself in the past." "If you are still in this predicament in June," "I may be able to help you out and take 100 or even 200 head off your hands, provided you're prepared to deal on credit until I can resell them." "I am interested in good, sound stock but nothing fancy, and I would like to hear your rock-bottom price." "Yours truly," "Kate Elder. "" "Horse-poor?" "Sounds like she had more brass than a Kansas City fire engine." "It struck me funny." "The more I read it, the funnier it got." "Finally I figured I'd done a lot of fool things in my day, but I hadn't done any lately, and I'm overdue." "I'm sorry I got here late." "You and Ma would've made a lively team." "Well, thanks." "Why not come on in?" "Thanks for your hospitality, but my bad knee wants me to stay right here." "I'll be running along." "Nice meeting you." "I've got a proposition for you, Mr. Striker." "I wouldn't blame you if you turned me down." "Wouldn't hurt to hear it." "I'd like to take those 200 head, run 'em up to Colorado, sell them to the miners." "But I've got the same trouble Mom had-no cash." "I'll give you half the profits for trusting me." "Well, what about the rest of you?" "You in this, too?" "We ain't been asked." "Well?" "Are you telling or asking?" "Asking." "Well, sounds crazy enough to work." "Matt?" "Just one thing" "We using the money to keep him in school?" "Seems to be the idea." "In that case, I'll chip in a couple weeks." "Well?" "You know, you almost broke my jaw?" "I was trying awful hard to." "That's what it seems to take with some people." "Well, I guess you made up my mind." "How about it?" "If I was doing it for your mother," "I might as well do it for you." "Come to Pecos and the horses are yours." "Thank you." "Starting when?" "Take us a little while- couple hours." "Good." "I'll be waiting." "Giddyup." "Well, come on." "It's your move, Billy." "Harry, one of these days," "I'm going to beat you." "Well, I wish you would." "After losing eight games in a row, you ain't much of a challenge anymore." "Where have you been all day?" "I been to the U.S. Marshal's office." "Take a look at this." "Maybe that'll prove I wasn't just jumping to conclusions." "Tom Elder's wanted for murder." "What gave you the idea?" "I did." "He knew enough about Tom Elder to send me looking." "I figured Tom for a lot of things, but never murder." "He's an Elder, isn't he?" "Takes more than a man's name to make him guilty." "Well, there's your proof." "That proves he's wanted." "It doesn't prove he's guilty." "You're working out of pure hate, Ben." "That's why they took your gun." "Seems like I can't do anything right for you, Billy." "Ben... the trouble with you is you're like an owl." "The more light you shine on him, the less he sees." "Where you going?" "I'm going to get Tom Elder." "Not armed like that, you're not." "Go reluctant." "Not like you enjoy the idea of using that." "I'll go myself." "There are four of them." "I can count, too, Ben." "Ben's right, Billy." "You'll need help." "You, uh, figuring on coming with me, or are you suggesting I take along that new man you hired?" "He's a good hand." "What are you trying to keep the Elders from finding out, Mr. Hastings?" "Well, I'm-I'm just trying to help." "Sure." "Just trying to put us on the map, make us all rich." "A man can grow with a town, Billy." "Or die... like Bass Elder." "Ben, you better come here." "What's up?" "Billy's horse just came in without him." "Let's get a posse together, Harry." "Here." "He's still breathing." "You and Roy, take him to Doc Isdell." "Meet us at the river." "Yah!" "Yah!" "Hah!" "Hah!" "Yah!" "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Bud!" "Go get him!" "Hyah!" "Yah-hah!" "Hyah!" "Hah!" "You were pretty good today, kid, pretty handy." "Where did you learn that stuff?" "Not in college." "All we're trying to do is make you rich and respectable." "You fight us every step." "I don't want to be rich and respectable." "I want to be like you." "He sassing you again?" "I don't know what to do." "Ain't you got no respect for your elders?" "That ain't funny." "I heard it before." "Katie would bloody our backsides with a birch for talking back." "Yeah?" "Well, which one of you is man enough to fill in for Ma?" "Oh, no." "Oh, no." "You wouldn't." "No!" "Hey!" "No!" "Aw, come on!" "Let me-Hey!" "Put me down!" "Well, fellas," "I thought I taught you better than to take a bath with your clothes on." "Hey!" "There's a posse up there." "What do you suppose they're after?" "It can't be us unless they think we stole these horses." "That's Ben Latta there." "They must be after us." "What will we do?" "We've done nothing wrong." "We won't act like it." "We'll pick up these horses and start out like we're just passing through." "There's four of them." "It's the Elders, all right." "Hold fire!" "I want them alive." "Bud." "I'm all right." "What's this for?" "Stealing horses is against the law, ain't it?" "So is shooting them." "We got these legal, and we can prove it." "I don't expect you all to believe us, but Billy will." "Then why did you shoot him?" "Billy's shot?" "Shot, but not dead." "He'll tell us who did it when he tried to bring Tom in." "This doesn't make sense." "If we were running away and had shot Billy, why would we stop to pick up this herd?" "And bring them back through Clearwater." "Throw your guns on the ground." "Well, do as he says." "More killings won't prove anything." "Couple of you tie them up." "We got all them horses." "Their legal owner will find them." "We got a letter from the owner." "That don't help Billy." "We didn't do it." "Billy just happened to be at the Lupin place when he was shot." "The Lupin place?" "Yeah." "If they try to get away, shoot them." "I'm making you a present." "You can have the good deeds." "I don't want them." "What good deeds?" "A good deed for Ma." "Ain't that why we're here?" "We're here because you got in a jam and got yourself on a "wanted" poster." "You make it personal for a man that's been in a few scrapes himself." "Tell us what happened." "Some bartender got sore because I was raffling off my eye." "He started banging away at me with a.45." "Well, that makes it self-defense." "Why didn't you stand trial and clear yourself?" "Because it's his town and I'm an outsider." "Let me have that rope." "Look." "Drag them out." "We ought to hang them." "Yeah, get a rope and hang them up." "Let's drag them out." "Yeah, drag them out and hang them." "Let's drag them out." "Let's hang them." "How's Billy?" "I don't know." "You think we did it, too." "I don't know what to think." "If only you'd gone away right after the funeral." "Let's go get them!" "What do you say?" "Whiskey." "Hey." "Seems like everybody in this town's made up their mind." "Go on home, Mary, and stay home." "I don't want you around here." "Billy's dead." "Go on." "Did he" "Did he say who shot him?" "He never opened his mouth to say you didn't." "Get a rope!" "Let's hang them!" "Somebody get a rope." "Get a rope!" "I told you to go home." "What about that mob?" "They had feelings for Billy." "It wasn't Billy's way to lynch a man." "Four men." "Three men and a boy." "How can you be sure?" "Maybe they're not guilty." "They're convinced." "They'd be the ones on a jury." "You arrest them." "You don't judge them." "Get the marshal or get them to Laredo." "Quit telling me how to do my job." "Come on!" "Let's get them!" "Did you see the way them people are looking at us?" "Yeah, I saw... and we're getting out of here." "You figure on doing it different?" "They come to feed us in the morning, we'll get the key." "How's it look?" "Not good,Judge." "Better set their trial for morning." "Pick a jury out of that mob?" "That's not justice." "That's murder." "We got enough of those, Charlie?" "No, we ain't got enough." "Them guns ain't going to stop no mob." "You want to let them in?" "Don't you talk to me like that." "Me and Billy never lost a prisoner, mobs or no mobs." "He broke them up and without no guns, neither." "I seen him do it, but, then, you ain't no Billy Wilson." "He didn't mean anything by it." "Why don't he use his head?" "If he was a patch on Billy's shirt, he'd get those boys out of town before it's too late." "Take a look out there." "Them's friends of yours up until now, but pretty soon you'll be shooting bullets at them." "We'll move them." "We'll move them to Laredo early in the morning." "Tom, somebody's coming." "I guess they changed their mind." "Yell out to one of them deputies." "Tell them you're sick." "What's the matter with you?" "Want your neck stretched?" "We're going to face it." "I ain't facing no lynch mob." "You ran in New Orleans." "That's why we're here." "We're not running again." "Katie's not losing this one." "We're the ones in trouble." "I suppose she wasn't?" "She tried to raise her kids the right way." "They didn't turn out the right way." "Nobody's making any decisions for me." "I'll make my own." "Sure." "You can buy her an angel or a lamb, pay her off with a slab of marble." "You can make that decision, but I'll decide this one." "If we all get killed, nobody's going to run." "Katie wins this one." "Come on." "You're going to Laredo." "If you make one wrong move, you'll get the same thing you gave Billy." "You got the shackles ready?" "All ready." "All right, you two over here." "I don't want to be shackled to him." "Kind of late to be choosy about your friends." "Get a leg up." "Make sure they're tight." "Raise your right hands." "You swear to act as deputy sheriffs and uphold the laws of the state of Texas?" "Say, "I do. "" " I do." " I do." "Get in that wagon." "Hyah." "Let them get on the bridge, and they're all yours." "I don't trust them guards." "The drivers are on our side." "They've got their stories straight" ""We were ambushed by the Elder gang. "" "Whoa." "What's the matter?" "Why are you stopping here?" "To rest the horses." "Hey, Ned, what's the matter?" "Resting the horses." "To rest the horses!" "Jump!" "Put your hands up, Ben." "You're wearing a badge." "So was Billy." "Drop that rifle." "One gun won't hold them off very long." "Ben's got extra guns in that rig." "Think you can cover us?" "Three shots' worth." "Think you can keep underwater with me far as that rig?" "If I can't, just hold me under." "Then let's go." "I knew you were going to mob those boys." "Inside I knew it." "Sure you did, Ben, but they had it coming." "Hold it!" "Tom!" "Use the horses to get back." "Now keep in step, or we'll get tangled and go down." "Hyah!" "All right, Curley, this is what you were hired for." "I don't want them Elders getting out alive." "Move." "All set?" "Yeah." "They got ahold of Ben's guns." "We'll never get them out of there." "I'd like to blast them out of there." "There's dynamite here in the gun box." "I don't like it." "It's too quiet." "Let's get back." "Cover me." "Go." "Look out!" "Matt!" "John..." "Let me help you." "No, please, I" "I..." "John..." "I wish... maybe..." "Bud..." "I" " I wish..." "Here they come!" "Aah!" "I'm hit." "I'm hit!" "John!" "John Elder!" "Throw me a gun!" "I'll help you!" "Ben's going to help them." "Stupid fool." "Hey, no, Dad." "That's Ben!" "Come on." "Hastings is leaving." "Let's go." "What will we tell them in town?" "We were ambushed by the Elder gang." "Now let's go." "Let's get out of here." "Hyah!" "Let's get out of here before they come back." "We're going back..." "to town." "Are you crazy?" "They'll kill us the minute we get there." "We ain't gonna run." "I am." "How are you going to do it?" "There's one wagon, and Bud needs a doctor." "I'm taking him back." "I'll get the buckboard." "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Whoa." "Get Bud in the barn." "Hold it, Bert." "Go on home." "Get out of here." "Wait a minute, kid." "We're going to need a doctor." "Go get Doc Isdell." "Go on,Jeb." "Be quick about it." "Take off these leg irons." "Theirs first." "Yes, sir." "Where are you going, son?" "Doc Isdell's." "One of them's hurt." "What's your hurry?" "My pa's in there." "Let the boy go." "That's it, Harry." "That's far enough." "What do you want?" "First off, I want you to surrender." "Then I'll let the doctor through." "We get the doctor, or you're going to come up short a blacksmith." "Do what he says, Harry!" "Not till we see you out here first!" "Harry!" "We can't trust him, Will." "We can trust your deputies to shoot us up." "Your gang killed a lot of good men doing their job." "My gang?" "Then who killed Matt, shot Bud, and blew up the bridge?" "Well, what about Billy?" "How long does it take a man to ride to Pecos, Harry?" "8, 9 hours." "When did you last see Billy?" "We were playing chess at 9:00." "We can prove we were in Pecos at 9:00." "Send for the marshal, Harry." "We'll give ourselves up, but not to you or anyone in this town." "But you get that U.S. marshal from Laredo, and we'll come out." "How am I going to get a U.S. marshal here?" "I don't know." "Telegraph him or go get him yourself, but get him." "Go on in, Doc." "Over here." "All right, out." "What happened?" "What happened?" "One of them's wounded, the kid." "I want you men to break it up." "Those men are my prisoners the same as if they were in that jail." "The U.S. marshal from Laredo will be here, and any man starting trouble will answer to him." "Break it up and go home!" "Come on, son." "Go on!" "I've done about all I can for him now." "You'd best get him over to the boardinghouse as soon as you can." "John..." "Yeah?" "Don't worry about him." "He'll pull through." "We'll see he gets raised right... you and me." "What if the marshal gets here first?" "It's their word against ours." "Who'll take a gunfighter's word against a respected businessman's?" "What if one of those guards breaks, Pa?" "Huh?" "Only a weakling breaks." "They won't talk." "Not in here, you idiot." "You want to blow us all up?" "Curley smoked in here." "You ain't Curley." "John." "Dave... he never did answer any questions for us." "We got all the answers we'll ever get." "Yeah, but it's worth a try." "You're not going." "You step one foot outside that door, and you're dead." "You're not going." "Did, uh, Doc Isdell say anything about changing the" "You make one move, and you're dead." "Do as I say." "Back." "Move." "All right." "There's one left for you." "Now move." "Move." "Here's a present for you." "Now get your answers." "I'm going to give you some real good advice, mister." "This is no time for lying." "Who ambushed us?" "I don't know." "Aah!" "Answer me!" "Who killed my brother?" "I don't know!" "Talk!" "You were there when Ben got it." "Who ambushed us?" "Who murdered Matt?" "I don't know!" "I didn't do anything!" "I didn't" "Aah!" "When I let you breathe again, you better come up with the right answers." "Pa!" "I didn't tell them." "I wasn't going to talk." "Drop that gun, Hastings." "B" " But they shot at me." "They got Dave in there." "Get him out." "I didn't tell them." "Didn't tell them what, Dave?" "My father... he killed Ben." "He killed him." "And my dad?" "Your father... found out he was being cheated." "And Billy... kept getting closer to the truth." "Billy, too?" "John." "Give me that gun." "I represent the law around here now." "We'll take care of Hastings." "I don't want any trouble with you, Harry." "I wouldn't argue with him." "John." "This is something I have to do myself, Harry." "Get Doc Isdell for Tom." "John." "Bud's in here." "Is he all right?" "Doc says he'll need lots of care." "He'll get it." "And Tom?" "Doc's with him now." "Tom said it'd take more than one bullet to kill him." "He's in here."