"Travis, you cheated helpless and ignorant people of their wages." "It's ironic that their money is all that's protecting you right now." "Thank you." "Good afternoon, mr." "Paladin." "Glad to have you back." "Thank you." "And my mail, please?" "Yes, sir." "Oh, I'm sorry, it must be in the hold box." "I'll have it sorted out and sent to your room." "I'll take my newspapers now." "Yes, sir." "There you are." "Late afternoon edition." "No, no." "My newspapers, they're kept separate for me." "I'm afraid I don't know about that, mr." "Paladin." "Hey boy does, where's he?" "Hey boy is no longer with us." "He was discharged." "Why?" "He hasn't come to work in almost a week." "Certainly the carlton can't tolerate that kind of thing." "Did it every occur to the carlton that hey boy might have a good reason?" "He might be ill." "Well, after all, it's not our responsibility." "I assure you, mr." "Paladin, the carlton will continue" "To give you the same excellent service." "I've just had an example of your excellent service." "May I have hey boy's address?" "Really, mr." "Paladin, it isn't that important." "These people are very easily replaced." "May I have his address, or is your clientele easily replaced, too?" "Thank you." "Put the bag in my room, please." "Foon ying, mr." "Paladin." "Welcome to the mandarin." "Thank you, mr." "Chung." "I trust that each dawn has brought a day of success." "In each dusk, an evening of contentment." "Your visit is most fortuitous." "Only yesterday, I received these from cantung." "I'm sure they will be of great interest to you." "That's beautiful workmanship." "It's really beautiful." "But I'm afraid all I'm interested in today is some information." "I hope that I might be of service to you?" "I'm looking for hey boy." "Your friend, kim chan." "I have not seen kim chan in several days." "Excuse me." "This, I believe, is kim lee," "Kim chan's sister." "You must forgive us, for not answering the door." "But she was frightened." "And kim chan has instructed her" "Not to let anyone in while he's away." "Where has he gone?" "He told you, perhaps, of their brother, kim sung?" "They came to this country recently?" "Six weeks ago." "There's a famine in china." "The kim family is very poor." "Very little food, many stomachs to fill." "Well, not so poor that they couldn't pay for passage." "No money for that, too." "I borrow money on this," "Loan money to kim lee for passage." "When she marry wealthy merchant, she repay me." "My wishes for a long and very happy marriage." "Not so long." "Maybe ten, fifteen years." "Wealthy merchant very old." "Well, does she have any feeling for this man?" "She not meet him yet." "Next week, I have to repay loan." "Kim lee do this as matter of honor." "What about her brother's passage, kim sung?" "Kim sung brought over by railroad." "To repay them, he signed contract" "To work for railroad on construction crew." "Many of our people come this way." "Oh." "Kim chan received these letters last week." "This is from his brother." ""the superintendent travis has been cheating us of our wages," ""and has been giving us less food than is our right." ""and..."" ""..." "Even that is sometimes rotten." ""because we are chinese," ""he thinks we will not do anything." ""but last night, when I spoke in protest..."" ""..." "I was beaten."" ""now I am afraid to stay here." ""I am afraid that travis will kill me" ""as a lesson to the others."" "Ah, "please, my brother, you must help me."" "And the second letter?" ""midland western railroad."" "This is all?" "They don't explain the accident?" "They don't say where kim sung is buried?" "Under the circumstances, mr." "Paladin," "I'm surprised that the letter includes regrets." "Maury travis, section superintendent?" "Is this the man kim chang went after?" "When it is hurt," "The most gentle kitten will have the fury of a tiger." "But still owning the strength of a kitten, mr." "Chung." "Come on, come on, keep moving, we ain't got all day." "Ah, brady, what'd you log today?" "Little short of a mile and a half, mr." "Travis." "What were they doing, sleeping?" "Beat 'em and put 'em on the next shift." "Yes sir." "All right, step on it, you won't get time to eat at all." "You, uh, looking for somebody?" "Mr. Travis." "You found him." "So I gather." "Well?" "After you, mr." "Travis." ""have gun, will travel." ""wire paladin." ""san francisco."" "All right, mr..." "Paladin." "I'll play along." "What can I do for you?" "You're a target, mr." "Travis." "Someone's trying to kill you." "And I offer my services as a body guard." "Why would anyone want to kill me?" "Well, even a saint has some enemies," "And I doubt you're a saint." "Did you write this letter?" "Yes." "Well, this letter says it wasn't an accident." "And now the dead man's brother wants revenge." "His brother." "Ah, kim chang, little fella." "And you want me to hire a gun to protect me against a coolie?" "no sale, paladin." "I've already met up with the little china boy." "And see, I'm alive and kicking." "And the china boy..." "He's in a cell." "He came at me with a knife." "If the sheriff hadn't stuck his nose in," "He'd be in a grave." "Well, as long as you seem to be able to handle this thing by yourself..." "Just a minute." "How'd you get this letter, anyway?" "And who says it wasn't an accident?" "Man who was killed." "You're bluffing, paladin." "This could be a laundry ticket for all I know." "Was kim chang bluffing when he tried to knife you?" "Kim sung was killed in an accident." "A load of ties fell off a flat car." "China boy didn't move fast enough." "I saw the whole thing." "I'm very sorry to have bothered you." "Oh, here." "You, uh, forgot this." "You'd better keep that, travis." "These chinese are small but their memories are very long." "You figure on starving yourself to death, huh?" "Sheriff, that's very careless of you." "Leaving that door open, nobody around." "Anybody could walk in." "Way I figure, mister, jails are like cemeteries." "You leave the gates wide open, nobody wants to get in." "I can't argue that with you." "My name is paladin." "I understand you're holding a friend of mine." "Only got one man here." "Little china boy." "I'd like to see this chinese gentleman." "Friend of yours?" "Very good friend." "It's all the same to me." "Mr. Paladin!" "It is you!" "You look so different." "We're a long way from san francisco, hey boy." "Yeah, many miles of sorrow." "I know." "Mr. Chung told me about your brother." "We were all to be together again." "After so many years alone," "I would have my family with me." "And now..." "There's still your sister." "Kim lee needs you." "The man who killed my brother lives, and goes unpunished." "This is not right, mr." "Paladin." "Hey boy, you can't be sure it wasn't an accident." "I am sure." "This man killed him with a club when he spoke in protest." "Then he made it appear an accident." "Two of the men who work with kim sung saw it happen." "Why don't they go to the sheriff?" "With two witnesses, travis could be brought to trial." "Who would listen to a coolie against his boss?" "His punishment will come at my hands." "Hey boy, that won't work." "Even if he doesn't kill you, if you succeed in killing him," "You'll be arrested for murder." "Either way..." "Either way it's something I must do." "Why don't you talk outside?" "He's free to go." "What do you mean, "free to go"?" "Travis was just here." "He's dropping the assault charges." "Come on." "Hey boy, I'll get your hat." "Here you are." "Thank you, mr." "Paladin." "You'd better look under the pillow." "Where'd this come from?" "He stole it from me." "Mr. Paladin!" "A friend of his, you said?" "Yes." "Funny way of showing it." "Travis dropped the charges because he wants hey boy out in the open." "I want him in here where he's safe." "Whose side are you on?" "According to travis, you tried to sell your gun to him." "Fastest way to get to hey boy." "You're sure travis wants to kill him?" "I don't want hey boy to suffer the same accident his brother did." "What do you mean, "accident"?" "His brother was buried under a load of railroad ties." "What did you think, sheriff?" "I didn't." "It was railroad business." "Murder is a sheriff's business." "You got to show me it's murder first." "Mr. Paladin, I been sheriff of coldwater for ten years." "It's a nice, quiet little town." "Until somebody like you comes along, wearing an iron low." "Or travis and his crew riding rough-shod over everybody." "None of you ever stay." "You either move along or you're buried here." "And I'm still sheriff." "In other words, you see no evil, hear no evil." "In other words, I intend to be sheriff another ten years." "Even if it costs the life of an innocent man." "Just show me." "I'll show you." "Like I said, I'll either watch you ride out of town," "Or fill up a hole." "I'm sure you all remember kim sung." "Two of you know what really happened to him." "Two of you know his death was not an accident." "Two of you can help put maury travis in jail." "Oh?" "So you like to eat slop." "You like to live like slaves?" "You'll see one of your own brothers murdered," "And then you'll lick the boots of the man who killed him?" "Well." "All right, you little monkeys, on your feet, it's time to..." "What are you doing here?" "Just looking around." "Well, clear out." "When I'm ready." "Now." "And don't go for that gun." "I haven't got one." "May I have the gun?" "You people got anything to say to me, you'll find me in town." "What are up to, paladin?" "The nine of diamonds." "I want to know what you're doing here." "Now, let's have it straight." "What do you want?" "I told you this afternoon, I want a job." "But you seem prepared to protect yourself," "So I guess my services are unnecessary." "Your services include nosing around in something that doesn't concern you?" "Bad odors offend me." "Your card says, "will travel."" "Get started." "Travis, don't let that gun go to your head." "Travis, I told you a man could have freedom of the town" "As long as he didn't start any trouble." "What're you talking about?" "That chinese work crew." "They just broke in the jail." "Took your friend with them." "Couldn't you stop 'em?" "A crazy mob?" "Armored with everything from shovels to clubs." "You better take hold, travis." "They're heading for your camp." "Sounds like they're looking for someone, travis." "Who do you suppose that is?" "Carl, pick a couple men." "Rest of you stay here." "Get rifles and guns and bring 'em here fast." "now, where you going?" "!" "Wait a minute, I said for the rest of you to stay here." "Wait a minute!" "Carl!" "Those monkeys out there mean trouble!" "Let go of my arm, travis." "I didn't hire out here to get myself killed." "Come back!" "Dirty yellow coyotes." "I'm through with every one of them." "I demand protection." "You're sheriff here." "Oh, that's right." "As I said before, travis," "You'll either ride out of town or be buried here." "And I'll still be sheriff." "All right, paladin." "You got yourself a deal." "There's a small matter of my fee." "How much do you want?" "$50 an hour, in advance." "Why, you..." "Hard cash, on the line, now." "Well, now." "Anyone for poker?" "I believe your hour's up, mr." "Travis." "Would you care to continue my services?" "You've got yourself a pretty good deal here, haven't you?" "Almost as good as yours." "Cheating helpless, ignorant people out of their wages." "It's ironic that their money should be protecting you now." "Your deal, I believe." "I'm through." "Those monkeys haven't come by now, they'll never show up." "Mr. Travis." "You're entitled to fifteen minutes more." "Use 'em yourself, and start riding." "I'm gonna get myself some men with guts." "Take care of those china boys and you, too." "Paladin." "They're out there, all of them." "Hey boy, tell these men to go back to the camp." "You go back, mr." "Paladin." "Stay out of way." "You're not taking travis." "He killed my brother, he cheated these men, he will be punished." "Not by you." "You're in the United States now." "While you're here, you live under our law." "The law is for the whites, not chinese." "Our law's meant for everyone." "While you're in this country, you'll obey the law," "You'll get its protection, and its justice." "Your justice will not bring back kim sung." "Neither will another murder." "If he's guilty, I want travis punished as much as you do." "But I promise you, I'll shoot the first man that lays a hand on him." "What's he doing?" "Don't worry, you're getting your money's worth." "How will american justice help us?" "Two of these men saw what happened to kim sung." "You tell them to step out and say so." "Him, kill kim sung!" "That proof enough for you, sheriff?" "Travis, I wouldn't." "I'd hate to cheat the hangman." "You tricked me, paladin, you took my money and..." "And gave you good service if I say so myself." "You hired me to protect you, to save your life, I did." "You'll be very safe in jail." "Paladin." "Good morning, hey boy." "'morning." "You happy to be back in san francisco?" "I have you to thank for..." "No thanks are necessary." "Kim lee, the day is a joy that begins with something of beauty." "I..." "Don't think I can translate that." "You're understood." "Well, now." "What's that?" "This was delivered to kim lee this morning." "Enough money here to pay debt for her passage." "That's wonderful." "Now she won't have to marry the ancient merchant, will she?" "But, mr." "Paladin, you are the one, of course," "The unknown personage?" "Oh, hey boy, don't be silly." "Excuse me, but I know you." "Hey boy, your sister's life has a value, too." "It would be sinful to waste it on a marriage of convenience." "Let her find some man to marry whose face she looks on with happiness." "Some man whose words are magic in her ears." "Let her find love, hey boy." "That's a rare thing." "Money is cheap, common, and relatively plentiful." "Besides, this is a present from travis." "He owes you both something." "Cannot accept." "You must." "Don't dishonor our friendship." "Hey boy, take her home."