"There's one thing I do know, mr." "Bella." "Something is loose on moon ridge" "That's bigger than any man I've ever seen." "And stronger." "Before I leave," "I intend to find out what it is and why." "We are to follow what he does." "This is the trinity of heaven, earth and man?" "Yes." "Dochi, grandfather." "Mr. Paladin." "Um hmm?" "You left this on desk." "I know, hey boy." ""monster at moon ridge."" ""girl bewitched by apparition."" "Do not go there," "Mr. Paladin." "Well now, what's this?" "Fossil bones?" "No, dragon's tooth." "Very powerful protection." "Hey boy, your new country has a much stronger potion" "For driving off evil." "Equal parts reason and daylight." "But, thank you for the thought behind it." "You know, mr." "Lindsay, the salem witch burners" "Would be very happy in your town." "All the windows barred and the doors all locked." "Get it off me!" "Lindsay, help!" "Light please, mr." "Lindsay." "You ain't getting away!" "Stand still!" "I ain't done nothing!" "Make him let me go, lindsay." "Who is he?" "He's a hobgoblin." "I entertain 'em every night in my office," "Ain't you heard?" "Mr. Paladin, meet mr." "Jake kelly," "Who just shot a dollar's worth of silver through my ceiling." "Well, I..." "I was just trying to find out" "Who or what was riding into town at this hour." "Jake!" "Mr. Paladin's come here all the way from california." "Dan bella hired him to find out what's bothering his daughter." "I wanted to ask you to show him the way" "Up there tonight." "You was going to ask me?" "I can tell you what's wrong with emily bella from here." "She's hexed." "Where do you get off at," "Wanting me to ride in that direction at night?" "There ain't nothing up on moon ridge, nothing!" "'cept one drunken story piled on top of another" "Like the one you told with the whiskey bottle at your elbow." "I was just as far from it as I am from you right now." "I tell you, I saw it." "Half man, half bear." "Any werewolves?" "Vampire bats?" "Unused broomsticks?" "I hate to hear just half a story." "Well, if you think I'm crazy just ask the sheriff here." "Go on, tell him about them trackprints." "Some prints my men thought they saw." "And you saw 'em too!" "'bout that far apart." "Yeah, human at one end and clawed at the other." "Leo press shot at it." "You ask leo." "He'll tell you ordinary lead won't even phase it." "Where do I find mr." "Press?" "Leo?" "He went back to texas." "He was a drunk too." "All right, then." "Ask hank conlin." "Found a full-grown steer." "Picked it up and the neck snapped," "Just like you kill a rabbit." "Well, a grizzly could do that." "Sure, and I suppose a grizzly could cut off" "Its hindquarters and roast it over a fire." "I suppose a grizzly could chain me in a cave." "Chained me with metal links." "When you get up to the bella place," "You ask that girl what carried her off." "Don't ask lindsay here 'cause he's a sheriff." "And if he admitted there was anything up there," "He'd have to go after it." "Can I have my gun back?" "Sheriff, is there anything valuable" "About the moon ridge country?" "Minerals, grazing land?" "You mean, some reason why somebody'd want to scare people away?" "No." "Miners were all through that country in the fifties." "Formations ain't right for gold, silver..." "Or anything valuable." "Even the injuns don't want it." "They call it shadow country, spirit land." "Well, you know how injuns are." "Ignorant, not like us." "You know, until a few moments ago" "I was feeling very superior to a chinese friend of mine." "I forgot that he came by his superstitions honestly." "He learned them from the cradle." "I can't find any such excuse for you." "What are you getting at?" "I ain't superstitious." "Oh?" "You expecting feminine company tonight?" "What?" "Mistletoe?" "I guess I am kind of rushing the christmas season, huh?" "Yeah, there's also a story that it wards off evil spirits." "Bella's place is straight north," "Out of town." "It's the last house on the road" "To moon ridge country." "Thank you." "Ha!" "Evening." "Miss emily bella?" "My name is paladin." "I've had many small disappointments in my life." "But you, I think, will not be one of them." "You will taste my wine, huh?" "One moment, if you please." "Emily..." "You promised to tell papa when you stepped outside, remember?" "Come, come." "It's cold out." "And to a visitor, a big girl does what?" "How do you do?" "Sit down, mr." "Paladin." "A dozen years ago, mr." "Paladin..." "There was in this valley," "An epidemic, I believe is the word." "It took from me my wife," "Almost my daughter." "I'm sorry." "Such a fever." "Afterwards, emily's body continued to grow but," "In her mind she still remains a child." "She was the only one afflicted?" "No, no." "There were others." "People treated them like animals," "Until their parents took them away." "I saw I must leave too." "Bring emily here, far from town." "The land is not very good, but we manage." "I teach my clumsy fingers" "To make small things for emily." "She is of such an age when toys are pleasant." "I think emily is very fortunate" "To have you for a parent." "I think she is fortunate in other things." "But perhaps you do not understand." "Perhaps." "It's no great tragic thing to remain a child." "Their's is the best age." "Their world is mysterious and wonderful." "Half real and half make-believe." "Mr. Bella, the world we live in" "Is not always so pleasant." "I think maybe you are a wise man, mr." "Paladin." "Well, right now I'm a very confused man." "I understood that emily's condition" "Was the result of shock," "Or some unusual circumstance." "A spell cast by the monster" "Of moon ridge?" "Well, since there is no monster of moon ridge..." "Mr. Bella, why do you want to pay me $200?" "Your telegram said five." "Mr. Bella, you haven't answered my question." "Since there is no monster of moon ridge," "Why do you want to pay me $200?" "There is something on moon ridge, mr." "Paladin." "It took emily from me for a week." "For a week, I searched for her." "I found her prints." "And other prints too." "Which I will not describe to you." "Maybe because I am afraid you will think I exaggerate." "And twice, mr." "Paladin..." "I have found beneath her window here," "Those same prints." "Then mr." "Bella," "I suggest that it's time" "For emily to go back to moon ridge." "All three of us." "We'll start together in the morning." "You will be honest with me, mr." "Paladin." "What made this print?" "Mr. Bella..." "I don't know." "You've read, perhaps," "The translation of "bride of the cyclops?"" "I read it." "It will be dark in..." "Emily!" "Emily, come back!" "Bella!" "Now listen to this carefully." "I have no intention of being frightened away." "I don't believe in..." "You know, before I was interrupted," "I was about to say that I did not believe" "In witchcraft, sorcery, etc." "However..." "If you have any contrary thoughts on the subject..." "Will you excuse me, please?" "Well, since you and I are chained here together," "With nothing better to do, shall we try again?" "Now, you look to me like an intelligent bear." "As far as bears go," "Quite satisfactory." "But as a devil," "Or an apparition," "You know, I suspect you're something of a fraud." "You mind?" "You have a..." "Uh, no." "Well, since I can't reach that torch," "I guess there's no smoking in this theatre." "Oh, do I applaud?" "Has the play begun?" "At least one of the actors is present." "Well, of course." "It's "macbeth."" "Enter the first witch." "May I?" "Thank you very much." "Oh?" "Paladin!" "I've been riding all night." "Emily led me a wild chase." "Then I found the horses, then later your gun." "Santa maria, I say to myself." "Maybe there are devils." "What I'd find today, I could not even guess." "Mr. Bella, has anyone been harmed?" "I mean, physically injured here in moon ridge country?" "No." "No, that's true." "But..." "Would you like to see emily now?" "You've seen emily?" "Is she all right?" "She's all right." "Come on." "We'll go the rest of the way on foot." "] you see how he's stepping in those bear tracks?" "That's how they made the prints that are scaring everyone." "I imagine his mother taught him that," "And some other tricks as well." "You know her?" "Maria." "An exceptional woman." "She was the teacher until her son..." "The epidemic." "Run out of town by ignorance and prejudice." "Come on." "I was afraid of you." "You have no respect for witches." "Well, I do have respect for some things." "Courageous, intelligent women for example." "So this is where you ran to." "Where else could I take clairy?" "I have no money." "I had to take care of my boy." "Run off people who might ridicule him." "Do you want some hot stew?" "Well, how's it brewed?" "Fillet of snake and frog's toes?" "Seasoned with an incantation?" "As you said, enter the first witch." "That's the recipe from "macbeth."" "Doesn't sound too delicious." "The soil is good here." "Better than your place." "And the grass and water?" "Why talk?" "Why not?" "There's always some man, somewhere," "Who won't be scared off, like this one." "Materialize an apparition on a broomstick in front of him," "And he'll ask it to sweep the floor." "There are monsters, dan." "People that come up here and laugh and..." "I've run out of tricks." "Clairy and I have moved before," "And we can do it again." "I think if I owned this valley," "Just for example, you understand of course," "There would be no man-bear tracks." "No cave to put foolish men in." "And then release them, frightened," "To run shouting foolish things." "I think, since I am a man," "There would be a gun in my hand." "Friends would be welcome." "Others would not, it would be that simple." "A man has something to say," "He comes right out and he says it." "Now, don't rush me!" "I, um..." "I think I like your cooking." "I think I like the land." "And I think I'll be going." "Mr. Bella, I expect $200 to be deposited" "In my account in san francisco," "And I suspect you got a good deal more" "Than you bargained for." "And you will get what you bargained for." "$500." "You'll have to ride through town, I suppose." "Talk to the sheriff." "Well..." "Ignorant and prejudiced people like to be deceived." "And I think they deserve it when they are." "Why confuse them with the truth?" "oh, excuse me." "There's a friend of mine out there." "Bye." "You know baby, I'll tell you something confidentially." "When I asked you in that cave if you had anything to say," "I'm very glad you didn't." "Oh?" "Those are my sentiments, exactly." "¶ have gun, will travel reads the card of a man ¶" "¶ a knight without armor in a savage land ¶" "¶ his fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind ¶" "¶ a soldier of fortune is the man called ¶" "¶ paladin ¶" "¶ paladin, paladin where do you roam?" "¶"