"Deader than a Paiute's grave." "Well?" " That guy's awful slow getting there." "I feel sorry for him." "Always in reach and never able to do anything about it." " I got a feeling she could do better." " You're boasting." " What'll you have?" "Whiskey?" " What you got?" "Whiskey." "You ever see such a guy'?" "All winter I've been thinking..." "And all he's got's whiskey." " That's rotten, ain't it?" " Rotten." "Two glasses and a bottle." " Well, what's on your mind?" " Does something have to be on my mind?" "Well, here's mud in your eye." "Friendly cuss, ain't he?" "He's getting around to asking if his girl is in town." "His girl?" "If you mean Rose Mapen, no." "She went to Frisco the first stage out this spring." "That's a lie." "She said she'd wait." "It's a fact." "What a town." "It's my guess the married women run her out." "No tar and feathers." "No rails." "They just righteously made her feel uncomfortable." "Not that she ever did anything." "They just couldn't get over being afraid she might." " What is there to do in this town?" " Unless you want to woo Drew's daughter" "We don't." "The only other unmarried woman I know is 82, blind and a Paiute." "That leaves you five choices:" "eat, sleep, drink, play poker or fight." " Or you can shoot pool." "I got a new table." " That's just great." " I see Risley's still around." " The sheriff?" "I thought he never got closer than Reno except on special calls." "It wouldn't be that rustling folks were talking about last fall?" "Could be." " Getting to be a touchy subject, huh?" " They don't like to talk about it." " Afraid it's somebody they know?" " Maybe." " They lose some more this spring?" " Some." " How many?" " About 600 head." "They got any leads?" "They picked up a trail and signs of shod horses in the south draw." "Wouldn't everybody know if there were strangers around?" "There hasn't been any, except you two." " That ain't funny." " Now who's touchy?" "You're talking about my business." "Stick to my pleasures." "No offense, Carter." "I want you to know where you stand." " Listen" " Take it easy, Gil." "He's sore about Rose Mapen." " Keep your mouth shut about Rose, see?" " Okay, Gil." "I was just joking." " You can take a joke, can't you?" " Sure, I can take a joke." "Some jokes." "Lost any over your way?" "No more than the winter and coyotes would account for." " You haven't got any ideas, Farnley?" " Except not to have ideas." "Make that clear." "There are a lot of things around here ain't clear." "You still talking about rustling?" "And strangers." " Looks happy, don't he?" " He just needed exercise." "Whenever he gets low in spirits or confused in his mind  he doesn't feel right until he's had a fight." "It doesn't matter whether he wins or not." "He feels fine again afterwards." "Ain't that guy got there yet?" "Holy cow, now I'm gonna have to start all over again." "Somebody's sure in a hurry." " Did Darby use his fist?" " No, a bottle." " That's all right then." " Lay off Farnley, will you?" " Why should I?" " You hit him pretty hard  made him look foolish." " Did I really get him?" " I thought you busted his neck." "No fooling." "Why, the no-good" " Shot through the head, I tell you!" " Where did it happen?" " Southeast corner of the valley." " Did you see it?" " No." "Olsen found him laying in a dry wash." "Shot right through the head." "When?" "About 2:00." "But he must've been shot earlier." "They picked his horse up near the ranch road." " Any cattle missing?" " Well, they couldn't tell." " Did Olsen send you for us'?" " No, he yelled at me to go get the sheriff." "Hey, Jeff." "Jeff!" " Rustlers?" " Looks that way." " Who was it they got?" " Kinkaid." "Kinkaid?" "Farnley's buddy?" "They've been working together since they were kids  from the Panhandle to Jackson's Hole." "I knew him." "Short, dark Irishman." "Didn't say much." "Liked to sing a lot." "These fellows will go a long way to get that guy that killed Larry Kinkaid." " L-Ynching?" "' I judge." "He's crazy." "Wait, Jeff, there's no rush." "Even if they have a five-hour start." "It's 500 miles to the border." "Besides, there may be a bunch of them." "It won't help to get yourself killed." "That kid Greene ain't got no idea which way they went." "We're all with you about Kinkaid." "Only we ought to form this posse right." "So if we go we're sure to get what we go after." "Okay." "Make your posse." " Better get the sheriff and Judge Tyler." " What do we want with old Tyler?" "One good, fast job." "That's all there is to it." " This ain't rustling." "It's murder!" " Wait a minute." "Don't go and do something we'll be sorry for." "We want to act in a reasoned manner, not like a mob." "Davies, you've been storekeeping too long." "You don't see no profit in this." "If you fellas would offer to buy the rope from him..." "If we go, you're going with us, fat-gut." "Brother, I wouldn't miss it." "The only thing that'd bring me out faster would be your necktie party." "Who knows?" "Maybe this is yours." "I'll remember that and see you handle the rope." "In Texas, we just go get a man and string him up." "That's right." "I say stretch him." "It ain't just a rustler, it's a murderer." "Larry Kinkaid, one of the finest men that ever lived  is lying out there with a bullet hole in his head." "If you let this go by, there won't be nothing safe." "Our cattle, our homes, not even our womenfolks." "I'm with you, Farnley." "I'm going to get me a gun and some rope." "If nobody else will do it, me and you'll do it ourselves!" "Count me in too." "Come on, boys, get your guns!" "Listen to me, men." "Don't lose your heads like this!" "You mustn't do this thing." "You must not!" "Shut up, Grandma." "Nobody expects you to go." "Don't take it so hard, Mr. Davies." "You did all you could." " Will you do me a favor?" " That depends." "I'm sending Joyce for the sheriff and Judge Tyler." "Go along and help explain." "You know how Art and I stand." "We came in at a bad time." "I've got to stop them, till they realize what they're doing." "If I can make this thing regular, that's all I ask." "Come on." "Let's go." " Wait." "Do you know Mapes?" " The one they call Butch?" "The sheriff's made him deputy for times he's out of town." "We don't want Mapes." "You said I was to be the executioner, so I come all fixed." "Think I don't know my business, huh?" "You don't look very well, Mr. Davies." "Maybe you'd better stay home and rest up for the funeral." "You could get the flowers." "Boys wouldn't begrudge flowers  even for a rustler, so long as he's a good, dead one." "Get your hat and gun." "I'm not going, Father." "I don't wish any argument." "Do as I say." "Perhaps this will do what I've obviously failed to do: make a man of you." "Scrape your boots, put your hat in your hand, and straighten your wig." "Well?" " Why, is the judge at home, ma'am?" " Yes." " Could we see him?" " You got business?" "No, we just dropped in for tea." "Very funny." "Mr. Davies sent us, ma'am." "It's awfully important." "It's not regular office hours." " That the judge's better half?" " His housekeeper." "His wife's dead." "You can see why the judge don't seem to be able to make up his own mind." "Come in." "Come in." "He says come in!" " Well, Carter." "How're things?" " All right, I guess, judge." "You don't appear to have been pining away exactly." " What can I do for you gentlemen?" " We're here for Mr. Davies." "How is my friend Davies?" "Well, I trust." "Yes, but could we see you alone for a minute, judge?" " A matter of a private nature?" " Yes." "Davies said just you and Risley." " Risley ain't here." "He deputized me." " Where did the sheriff go?" " Down to Kinkaid's ranch." " When will he be back?" " A couple of days maybe." " Anything you can tell him, you can tell me." " We know." "But we're here for Mr. Davies." " If he thinks it's your job, he'll tell you." " Certainly, Mapes." "All right, but if it's a sheriff's job, call me, see'?" "Naturally." "Well, what can I do for you gentlemen?" "It ain't that Mr. Davies don't want them to go." "He wants to make sure a posse's sworn in, to bring them in for a fair trial." " That's why I wanted you to hurry." " Confound it." "The sheriff's not here." " Today of all days." " They'll listen to you." "No, no." "That's not my job." "I haven't any police authority." "Where are you going?" "There's a posse forming." "That's sheriff's work, ain't it?" "That's no posse." "That's a lawless, lynching mob!" "It'll be a posse when I get there." "I'm gonna deputize them all proper." "But you can't do that." "Risley's the only one empowered to deputize." "Shall we tell Davies you're coming?" "Yes, yes, of course." "I suppose I'll have to." "But, doggone it, this is the sheriff's job, not mine." "If he don't come around, we'll go get him ourselves." "Coming along, Sparks?" "No, I don't guess so." "Better come along, Sparks." "Ain't every day we have a hanging in a town as dead as this one." "You won't have to do nothing." "All the real work is signed up." "We ought to have a reverend along, because there gonna be some praying." "Maybe you're right, Mr. Smith." "Maybe somebody ought to go along that feels the way I do." "Davies'll loan you his Bible, all the reading will be done at the burial." "Thank you, sir, but I knows my text without the Book." " They're kidding you, Sparks." " I know, sir  but maybe Mr. Smith is accidentally right." "Maybe I ought to go along." "There's an old horse in my shed you can use." "Thank you, sir." "I'll go and fetch him." "Here comes Ma!" "Come on, we're ready to go!" "Hi, boys!" "Come on, Jenny!" "These boys are getting tired of waiting!" " Well, boys, what are we waiting for?" " Judge Tyler." "Davies asked him to come." "I understand how it is, men." "My old friend Larry Kinkaid, one of the finest and noblest" "Cut the stumping, Tyler." "All we want is your blessing." "Of course, you can't flinch from what you believe to be your duty  but certainly you don't want to act hastily  in the same spirit of lawlessness that begot this foul crime." "Before you get ready to act, them rustlers will be clear over the Rio." "One more word and I'll have you up for impeding the course of justice." "Judge, you can't impede what don't move anyway." "And you, Jenny Grier, a woman." "To lend yourself to this..." " Ha!" "Now, now, listen." "Listen, men." "I've just found out that Sheriff Risley's already at Kinkaid's." " That right?" "Yes, he's been there all morning." "So, you see, probably everything's being attended to right now." "Legally." "All you'll get out of it is a long, hard ride." "It'll be dark before long, and mighty cold." "My advice is to come in, have a drink." "Let's wait till we hear from the sheriff." "Drinks on the house." "But only one round." "I'm not filling any bucket bellies." "I'll make it two." "If you want to stay in town, I can take six, if you sleep double." "It's not as if you were giving up, boys." "It's just good sense." "Farnley, come back!" "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you!" "You don't have to worry, Jeff." "This business is going to be taken care of." "Yeah, and I know who's gonna take care of it." "Me." "I tell you now, whoever shot Larry Kinkaid ain't coming back here for you  to fuddle with your lawyer's tricks for six months and then be let off  because Davies or some other whiny old woman claim he ain't bad at heart." "Kinkaid didn't have six months to decide if he wanted to die." "Disbanding, men?" "Davies has convinced us, major." " Of what, Mr. Davies?" " Why, of..." "I take it you're assuming the raiders left by the south draw?" " Why, yes, of course." " They went east, by Bridger's Pass." " Through the mountains?" "The old stage road." "Pike's Hole." "That's 8000 feet up." "Approximately." "They'd be crazy to go that way." "Not so crazy, perhaps, knowing how crazy it would look to us." " How come you're so sure, Tetley?" " Pancho saw them." "He was coming back from Pike's and had trouble getting by them." "Si." "He not see me, I think." "It was down the hollow, and I drive my horse out of the way." "First, I say hello, and then I think it's funny to drive cattle there." " Cattle?" " Why you think I get out of his road?" "Well, go on." "When I see what mark those cattle have, I be quiet." "What kind of marks were they?" " Three little whatchamacallum." " That's Kinkaid's mark." "Dirty rat!" "There's no telling what they'll try next!" "How many?" "Forty head." "I mean rustlers." "Three." "Why were you so long in bringing us this word?" "I knew my son would want to go along." "He was out on the range." " You mustn't let this be a lynching." " It's scarcely what I choose." "Promise me you'll bring them in for a fair trial." "I'll abide by the majority will." "Tetley, you know what's legal as well as I do." "All we ask is a posse to act under a proper officer of the law." "That's where I come in." "Risley made me a deputy." "In that case, suppose you deputize the rest of us." "That's not legal." "No deputy has the right to deputize." " How about it, boys'?" "Suits me." "Go ahead and pray." "Mapes, you're violating the law." "Raise your right hands." "I hereby solemnly swear that I am duly sworn in as a deputy  in the case of Kinkaid and am willing to abide by decisions of the majority." " Say I do." "I do!" "You bring those men in alive, or as I'm justice of this county, you'll pay for it." "And every jack-man of your gang!" "Tetley!" "Ain't you coming?" "Get my horse." "I'm going with them." "Then get to Kinkaid's." "Get the sheriff." "We'll stop here and breathe our horses." "Take one man, go up to the top of that ridge and see what you can see." "Doing this in the middle of the night's crazy." "I thought you liked excitement." "I got nothing particular against hanging a murdering rustler  it's just I don't like doing it in the dark." "There's always some fool who'll lose his head and start hanging everybody in sight." " Us?" " Funnier things have happened." " We didn't have to come." " Look kind of funny if we hadn't." " I like to pick my own bosses." " Whether we picked or not, we got them." "That's what I don't like." "That Smith and Bartlett shooting off their mouths." "Farnley and that renegade Tetley." "Strutting around in his uniform, pretending he's so much." "He never even saw the South till after the war." "Then only long enough to marry that kid's mother and get run out by her folks." "Figured there was something fishy about him, dressed like that." "Why would he be living in this neck of the woods  if he didn't have something to hide?" "Let's get out of here before we all freeze to death, or else give it up." "You'd be the laughingstock of the country if you went home on account of the cold." "I'm telling you, this rope'll have to be thawed out before it's fit to use." "Mind my coming in closer, Mr. Carter?" "No, come on." "I'm finding it kind of lonesome myself." " Powerful cold." " I got a blanket if you want it." "Thank you just the same, but it takes all my hands to stay on this old horse." " You better have a couple of shots." " I never use it." "I sure wish we was well out of this here business." "It's a way of spending time." "It's man taking on himself the vengeance of the Lord." "Think the Lord cares about what's happening here?" "He marks the sparrow's fall." "I seen my own brother lynched, Mr. Carter." "I wasn't nothing but a little fella  but sometimes now wakes up dreaming about it." "Had he done what they picked him up for?" "I don't know." "Nobody never did know for sure." "Well, a couple shots more whiskey can't do my soul any harm." "Darby sure sells rotten liquor." "Warms you up, though." "Feels like fire creeping in the short grass." "I guess I'll just let her spread a little while." "Put out that light, you fool." "You want to give us away?" " Who to?" " Chuck that butt, or I'll plug you." "Start something, for every hole you make, I'll make two." "Looks like you're gonna have a lot of shooting to do, Mr. Farnley." "Listen!" "Something's coming." "Fool, stop!" "Stop him!" " What's the matter, Art?" "I'm shot." " Where?" " Left shoulder." "You fool." "Nobody but a drunken idiot would drive down a grade in the dark." "I thought it was a stickup." "That coach ought to be in the bottom of the canyon right now." "Rose Mapen!" "Hello, everybody." "This is my husband, Mr. Swanson of San Francisco  and my sister-in-law, Miss Swanson." " Did you just get married, Rose?" " Just today." "No wonder you were in such a hurry." "My name's Tetley." "I can understand why Rose was in a hurry  to show the other ladies what could be done in the way of matrimony." " Thank you, sir." " What's everybody doing up here?" "Why, uh..." "Art's shot." "What?" "Bring him over here." "Give him a hand there." "You hadn't ought to come barging out like that in the dark!" " I couldn't tell who it was, all the yelling..." " Aw, shut up." "Here, I'm good at this sort of thing." "Look, do women have to watch this?" "There's room in the stagecoach for you, Art." " Yeah, I better get you back, get you food." "I'm all right." "Be a good boy." "Don't be stubborn." " Yeah, don't be a fool." " Mind your own business!" " She's his wife now." "And kind of new." " Yeah, looks that way, don't it?" "I take it you had the privilege of knowing Miss Mapen before she married me?" "That's right." "Possibly you imagined at the time there was some understanding between you?" "Yeah, sure." " My wife is a very impulsive woman." " That's what I'm saying." "I'm pleased to regard any friend of my wife's as a friend of my own." "However, I don't need to remind you the pleasure of such an acquaintance  depends upon the recognition by all parties that Miss Mapen is now my wife." "She must be given time to become accustomed to her new responsibilities." "As yet, I must confess that I'm jealous of her least attention." "You'll forgive me, I know." "A bridegroom is prone to be overly susceptible for a time." "Later, when we've had time to get accustomed to our new relations  I shall be delighted to welcome you  and others of my wife's friends to our home in San Francisco." "If it is still her desire." "Until then." "Why, that superior little..." "Looks like Rose has took unto herself a lot of trouble." " Where are we?" " The Ox-Bow." "There they are, gentlemen." "I suggest we avoid any shooting or rough work until they tell it their way." "Mr. Mapes and I will do the talking." " The one that got Kinkaid is mine." " He's yours when we're sure." "Ten men will go with Mrs. Grier from behind." "Bartlett, take six men and work through those woods." "Gerald, you and Farnley and the rest will go with me." " Would you like a gun, Mr. Davies?" " No, thank you." " Sparks?" " Thank you, no, sir, Major Tetley." "As you choose." "Get up!" "Drop it!" "Now put up your hands." "That's all right, brother." "You will." "Take it easy." "Stay where you are and put your hands up." "Gerald, collect their guns." "What do you want?" "Shut up." "This ain't no stickup." "This is a posse, if that means anything to you." "But we haven't done anything." "Gerald!" "Get 'em up!" "Tie them up." "All right, get in there." " Tell us what we're being held for." " I'd rather you told us." "We must be pretty important, or else awfully dangerous." "It ain't that you're so dangerous." "It's just that most of them ain't never seen a triple hanging." "A hanging?" "What have we done?" "Aren't you even going to tell us?" " Rustling." "Ever hear of it?" " Rustling?" "And murder." "Murder?" "Mr. Martin, what did we do?" "It's all right, Dad." "There's some mistake." "Remember me?" "He's talking to you, mister." " He don't speak English." " I got a different notion." "I'll make him talk." "That'll do, Farnley." "I've had enough of your playing God almighty!" "Who picked you for this job anyhow?" "We got them." "Let's swing them before we all freeze." "If you're cold, here's the fire." "Warm yourself." "I advise you to control your tongue too." "We'll get along better." " Who's boss of this outfit?" " I am." " And your name?" " Donald Martin." "Where you from?" " Pike's Hole." "That's a lie." "He's from Pike's Hole." "Want to change your story?" "I just moved in." "I'm on Dave Baker's place, up in the north end." "Dave moved out four years ago." "The place is a wreck." "The barns are all down, and the sagebrush is up through the porch." "Well, I bought the place from him for $4000 in Los Angeles last month." " Then, mister, you was robbed." " That may be." "Surely it's not so far to Pike's Hole that you can't go find out." "My wife's there right now, and my two kids." "That's really too bad." "Just too bad." "Even in this godforsaken country I've got a right to a trial." "You're getting a trial with the only kind of judges murderers and rustlers get  in what you call this "godforsaken country. "" "So far, the jury don't like your story." "I won't say another word without a hearing." "This is all the hearing you'll get, short of the Last Judgment." "Have you any cattle up here with you?" "Hey, Mr. Martin." "I'm not gonna ask you again." "Yes, I have." " How many?" " Fifty head." " Where'd you get them?" " From Mr. Kinkaid." "That's just what we figured." "I'm no rustler." "I didn't steal them." "I paid hard cash for them." "Mine were so bad, I didn't bring them." "I sold them off." "I had to stock up again." "Can't you wait till you see Kinkaid or ask about me in Pike's Hole?" "That's a good one." "He wants us to ask Kinkaid." "Gotta hand it to you, you're a cool one." "You know as well as we do Kinkaid can't tell us anything." " He's dead." " Dead?" "What do you think we're here for?" "How should I know'?" "He was all right yesterday." "Why don't you just stop this farce and take us in?" "Because the law's slow and careless around here." "We're here to see it's speeded up." " Who sent you up here?" " The sheriff." "That ain't true." "Let's don't get started again." " The sheriff didn't know we were coming." " I should have said deputy sheriff." "I'm not trying to obstruct justice, but just as this young man says, this is a farce  and it'll be murder if you carry it through." "All he's asking is what every man's entitled to: a fair trial." "You say you're innocent, and I believe you." "Then you're the only one." "If there's any justice here  it would only be after a confession." "They say they're innocent, and you haven't proved they're not!" "Shut up!" " Have you a bill of sale for those cattle?" " No, but Kinkaid said it'd be all right." "He was on the range and didn't have one with him." "He said he'd mail it." " Moore." " Yep?" " How long you been riding for Kinkaid?" " Six years." "Ever know him to sell any cattle without a bill of sale?" "No, can't say that I ever did." "Of course, I can't remember every head he sold." " But it's customary for him to give one?" " Yep." "Ever know him to sell cattle after spring roundup?" " This year or any other year?" "I can answer that." "I heard him say a couple days ago he wouldn't sell a head to nobody this spring." "Well?" "I know it looks bad, a dead man as a witness, but it's the truth." " You don't believe me?" " Would you, in my place?" "I'd find out before hanging three men who might be innocent." "If it were only rustling, maybe." "But with murder, no." "What are you trying to do?" "Play cat and mouse?" "I would prefer a confession, Martin." "If you've got doubts, let's call off this party, take them to the judge." "This is only slightly any of your business." "Hanging's any man's business that's around." "If your stomach for justice is cooling, I advise you leave before we proceed." "Your interruptions will become tiresome." "I don't like it!" "Hanging murderers is one thing  but to keep possibly innocent men sweating while you mouth off is another." "Take it easy." "This ain't our picnic." "If you keep on butting in, it might be." "You called this old man "Dad. "" " Is he your father?" " No." "Speak up, you're taking it like a woman." "Keep your chin up." "You can only die once." "No, he works for me." "I didn't do it." "I ain't even got a gun" "Then who did?" "The Mexican did it." "He told me so." "No..." "I saw him do it." "Juan couldn't have done it." "I was with him." "Yes, he did, Mr. Martin." "He was asleep  and he didn't mean to tell me  but I was awake, and I heard him talking about it." "He doesn't know what he's talking about." "He invents things." "If you've got to go through with this comedy, let him alone." "' Shut up!" "Lay Off, Mapes!" "First he won't talk." "Now he talks too much." "What's his name?" "Alva Hardwick." " And the other?" " Juan Martinez." "No, it ain't." "Still don't remember me, eh?" "I'm talking to you, mister." "The devil you don't." "Your name's Francisco Morez." "The vigilantes would like to get hold of you." "They want him for murder." "How about that?" " I don't know." "Stick together nice, don't they?" "Why question me when you don't believe anything I say?" "There's truth in lies too, if you can get enough of them." "What do you know about the old man?" " He was in the Army." " Confederate or Union?" "He's not clear about it himself." "Maybe both, at different times." "A half-wit in the Army?" "Attention!" "He's forgotten." "Not that." "I'll make a deal with you, Martin." "Tell us which of you shot Kinkaid and the other two can wait." "None of us killed anybody." "Then that's all, I guess." " Bring them along." "You're not going to do it really!" "You've got to wait, I tell you!" "You've gotta give us some time!" "You've got to give us some time!" " We haven't done anything." "Throw the other rope up there." "Remember, the Mexican's mine." "My kids!" "One of them is a baby!" "They haven't got a thing to go on!" "I've got to write a letter." "If you're human, you'll give me time." " That ain't asking much." " They're trying to put it off." " Want Tyler and the sheriff to get here?" " They won't come in time." "I believe you're right, Mr. Davies, though I doubt if you want to be." "What time is it'?" "Five minutes after 3." "All right." "We don't want to give anyone cause for complaint." "With your permission, we'll wait till daylight." "Bring them back." "That'll give you time, Reverend, to finish your business at leisure." "Sure." "And them time to think it over." " I can't write like this." " Very well, untie them." "He says he wants to eat." "He's much hungry from so much talk." "Thank you." "Why, look!" "Fresh beef!" "Oh, Ma, fix up a spread for everybody." "Can't call it stealing." "By the time it's ate, there won't be any owners." "What are you thinking about?" "Sheriff." "He's an awful long time getting anywhere." "Suppose he don't get here at all?" "That's what I'm thinking." "I'm not disputing that fact." "It may be a fine letter." "But if it's an honest letter, it's none of my business to read it." "If it isn't, I don't want to." " Is that my letter you're showing?" " Yes." " What right have you to show it?" "Don't raise your voice!" "I told him I'd keep it for him." " All I asked was to make sure it's delivered." " I'm sorry." "I was trying" "It's enough to be hanged without having your private thoughts handed around." " I said I'm sorry." "I was merely" " I don't care what you were doing!" "I didn't write that letter to be passed around." "It's not their business!" "I made no promise, son." "I thought there was one white man here." "I was wrong." "Give me my letter." "I'll see that she gets it." " I wouldn't have her touch it now." "In that case, give him back the letter." "Your wife ought to hear from you, son." "None of us could be as kind and understanding as this letter." "She'll want to keep it for your children." "I'm sorry." "The Mex!" "Spread out!" "He may have a gun!" "Keep an eye on these two!" "Where's he hit?" "In the leg." "Here's his gun." "Well, I guess we know now, don't we?" "Look!" " Say, that's Larry Kinkaid's gun." "Where'd you get this?" " Take this bullet out, I'll tell you." " So he speaks American." "And 10 other languages, my dear." "But I don't tell anything I don't want to." "My leg, please." "I wish to stand upright when you come to your pleasure." " Lend me a knife." " Don't give him no knife." "He can throw a knife better than most men shoot." "Better than any of you, no doubt." "But if you're afraid, I promise to give the knife back, handle first." "I'll do it." "He is very polite, but has no stomach for blood, eh'?" "That was very fine shooting, my friend." "You should try again with that one." " Where'd you get that gun?" " Found it." " Where?" " Lying in the road." " You're a liar." " Thought we'd find somebody  to send it back by." " You're a liar." " And you're a blind fool." " I asked you where you got it." " But that's the truth." "He did find it." " Undoubtedly." "Won't you even read it?" "Because you've made up your minds, or because everybody else has  and you're afraid to stand up for what is right?" "You heard what Martin said." "What does it matter who sees this letter if it saves him from hanging?" "It's a beautiful letter." "Read it, and you'll know he's not the kind of man who could steal or kill." "Maybe  but that can't stand up against cattle, no bill of sale, and a dead man's gun." "I suggest we act as a unit so there can be question of mistaken reprisals." "Mr. Davies, are you willing to abide by a majority decision?" " How about the rest of you?" "Sure." "Majority rules." "Everybody who's with Mr. Davies in turning it over to the courts, step over there." "Excuse me." "Seven." "Not a majority, I believe, Mr. Davies." "Any other message you'd like to leave, Martin?" " I don't wanna die." " I'd like to make a confession." "And about time." " To a priest." "There's no priest here." "This man can hear me and take it to a priest." "All right." "Get along with it." "Bring them along." "That must have been an awfully busy life." "Farnley, you, Gabe Hart and Gerald will whip the horses out." "No, not me." "Any volunteers?" "I'll do it if no one else will." " I won't do it." " You'll do it." " I can't." " We'll see to it that you can." "The kid's seen enough already." "Let him alone." "This is not your affair, Carter." "Thank you just the same." "I'll have no female boys bearing my name." "You'll do your part and say nothing more." "What did he say?" " I ain't no priest." "For God's sake, at least say whether we'd better wait." "I ain't no priest." "I don't know." "No, thanks." "I'll give you two minutes to pray." "Time's up." "Will you find someone to look out for my family?" "Better take some older woman." " Don't worry." " Miriam's parents live in Ohio." "Maybe Kinkaid's wife'll buy the cattle back for enough to cover their travel." "Tie them up." "It's no good telling you again that we're innocent?" " No good." "It's not for myself I'm asking." "Other men with families have had to die." "It's justice." "What do you care about justice?" "You don't even care whether you've got the right men." "All you know is somebody's got to be punished." "There's nobody to look out for them." "Can't you understand that?" "This is a fine company for a man to die with." " Shut up, you!" "Shut up!" " You shut up!" "Careful!" "Careful!" "Tear him loose, don't let him do that." " Stop it, you fools!" " No, you stop it!" "Keep him there!" "All right." "Put them up." "Miriam..." "I don't want to die." "I don't want to die." "Anytime you're ready, Mr. Mapes." "Finish him." "Hey, there!" "What's all that shooting about?" "We got them, sheriff!" " Everything's been attended to." " What do you mean'?" " Kinkaid's murderers." "We got all of them." " Hung them too, sheriff." "Larry Kinkaid's not dead." "Not dead?" "But we just." "I just left Kinkaid with a doctor." "Caught the fellows who shot him too." "But, sheriff, they had Larry's cattle." "They even had his gun." "Give me that badge." "I know you well enough to know you didn't have anything to do with this." "I'm depending on you to tell me who did." "All but seven." "God better have mercy on you." "You won't get any from me." "All right, let's go." "If you've got no objections, I'd like to read Martin's letter." "It'd be a good idea if a lot of people read it." "If you ask me, that Tetley's the one we ought to lynch." "You're a great one for hanging, ain't you, Smith?" "You loved it, that's why you kept them waiting." "I saw your face." "It was the face of a depraved, murderous beast." "Only two things ever meant anything to you: power and cruelty." "You can't feel pity." "You can't even feel guilt." "You knew they were innocent, but you were crazy to see them hanged  and to make me watch it." "I could've stopped you with a gun, just as any other animal can be stopped  but I couldn't do it because I'm a coward." "Aren't you glad you made me go?" "Weren't you proud of me'?" "How does it feel to have begot a weakling, major?" "Does it make you afraid there may be some weakness in you too  that other men might discover and whisper about?" "Open the door!" "I want to see your face." "I want to know how you feel now!" "They're getting up a pot for Martin's wife." "Even Mapes chipped in." " I didn't know he was showing his face." " He ain't." "He sent it by Sparks." "That reminds me, I put in 25 bucks apiece for us." " How much they got?" " About 500." "Not bad for a husband who bought cattle in the spring without a bill of sale." "Maybe you ought to read this letter too." "You know I can't read." "I'll read it to you." ""My dear wife:" "Mr. Davies will tell you what's happening here." "He's a good man and has done everything he can for me." "There are some other good men too, only they don't realize what they're doing." "They're the ones I feel sorry for, because it'll be over for me  but they'll have to go on remembering for the rest of their lives." "A man just can't take the law into his own hands and hang people  without hurting everybody in the world  because then he's not just breaking one law, but all laws." "Law is a lot more than words you put in a book  or judges or lawyers or sheriffs you hire to carry it out." "It's everything people ever have found out about justice  and what's right and wrong." "It's the very conscience of humanity." "There can't be any such thing as civilization  unless people have a conscience  because if people touch God anywhere  where is it except through their conscience?" "And what is anybody's conscience  except a little piece of the conscience of all men that ever lived?" "I guess that's all I've got to say, except  kiss the babies for me, and God bless you." "Your husband, Donald. "" "Where are we going?" "He said he wanted his wife to get this letter, didn't he?" "Said there was nobody to look after the kids, didn't he?"