"Sorry, mr." "Paladin." "It's all right, hey boy." "Just don't burn me with your good intentions." ""wyatt's landing, arizona territory." ""peace officers were turned off aaron murdock's ranch" ""at gunpoint today when they went to investigate" ""the whereabouts of his recently escaped" ""outlaw son, lew murdock." ""aaron murdock denies harboring the fugitive" ""or having any knowledge of where his son is hiding." ""the sheriff's office stated they have reason to believe" ""that murdock's younger son james" ""was aiding and abetting the fugitive." ""the accusation was violently denied by murdock" ""at gunpoint as reported, and he was quoted saying," ""you tell me where lew is, and I'll help you bring him in," ""dead or alive."" "You make the business face, I think." "It's not very often a father offers" "To hunt down and kill his own son," "No matter what." "Get me an envelope," "And enough stamps to reach the arizona territory, please." "Hold up there!" "Paladin?" "That's right." "Murdock?" "Coffee?" "Thanks, I could use some." "You know why I'm usually asked to people's homes?" "I don't want to know, and I sent for you." "Well, somebody knows you sent for me." "Lew." "He's too far now for anybody to catch him." "But if he followed you he'll know you met someone." "Like I wrote you," "Lew is my son." "But he's a murderer." "Stole a mining payroll." "Got caught." "Killed a deputy making his escape." "Mr. Murdock..." "Do you want to come to the point?" "All right." "I got another son." "A good boy." ""boy," I call him." "He's nearly 19." "His name is james." "And james favors his older brother over you?" "Yes." "Doesn't james know what his brother did?" "The facts, mostly, but not how it's told." "Lew didn't have to kill that deputy to get away." "Sheriff told me..." "That lew did it out of pure meanness." "You believe that?" "I've seen lew's face when he was branding beef," "Or raking his spurs into some unbroke horse." "Lew takes pleasure in hurting what's helpless." "James came to me a couple of days ago." "Wanted some money, for lew." "He wants to ride out with his older brother." "And you refused?" "Uh huh." "And jamie moved out on you." "He took his personal things, moved into town." "He's doing odd jobs at the blacksmith's." "Paladin..." "I want you to find lew." "I want you to tell him I changed my mind." "He can have the money." "I'll even help him ride out." "Just so he rides out alone." "Mr. Murdock, your son is a murderer." "The best I can promise is to bring him back" "As peacefully as he'll allow me to." "You do it any way that suits you." "If lew insists on riding out with jamie..." "You kill him." "I never saw a rich man work so hard." "Did you, marty?" "Must be the conscience of the damned," "Like old parson davis says." "Come on, jamie boy, tell us the truth." "How much you getting" "Out of that payroll your brother stole?" "I'm looking for the smith." "He's helping with a roundup." "If you want to leave your horse," "It'll be 50 cents a night." "Store, water, and feed." "Good enough." "Hey carl, ask him again" "About deputy johnson's widow and kid." "Jamie feels mighty poorly about deputy johnson's murder." "Hank johnson was his friend," "Ain't that right, jamie?" "Of course, it weren't really murder." "Johnson had his whole back" "To fight against lew's little gun." "Yeah, it..." "It was a fair fight..." "Murdock-style." "They were fighting." "It was dark." "You're a liar, jamie boy." "Your brother's a yellow murderer," "And you ain't got the belly to tell us different." "Hit him!" "Come on, marty." "Hit him!" "Get him, marty!" "Atta boy, marty." "Get 'em up!" "You weren't doing too good with your fist, were you?" "Who are you?" "Why you butting in?" "You had enough?" "That's enough, you've made your point." "Now you two take your friend, and duck him in the river." "Want to thank you, mister." "Paladin." "Jamie murdock." "You're lew's brother." "You know lew?" "That why you helped me?" "I know lew the way most everybody does, I guess." "By what he's done." "You better put something on that lip before it swells." "You really think your brother's gone to texas, as they say?" "Like the sheriff says, he ought to know." "You after a reward?" "Wouldn't make any difference if I were." "There's no price on lew's head." "Then why don't you leave it be?" "Look mister, I appreciate what you did for me," "Don't think I don't." "If it's stories you want, most folks around here" "Will tell you about my brother without being asked." "It's that way every place." "A murderer gets talked about." "It wasn't murder." "Um hmm." "How did your brother come to get himself blamed" "For that payroll robbery?" "Blamed?" "How do you mean?" "You're talking like he was blamed" "For something he didn't do." "And he tried to break away," "And the killing resulted from that." "Guess he had hard luck all down the line." "Are you trying to have fun with me?" "No, I'm trying to see it your way." "I never said lew didn't lift that payroll." "Oh, he did it." "He must have needed the money very badly." "Your father's ranch having a hard time?" "Ranch is going along good as most." "What's that got to do with anything?" "Son, I'm no sheriff." "And I'm no preacher." "I figure that a man who deserves the loyalty" "You're giving your brother," "Must have something to favor his side of the story." "Ain't it enough he's my brother?" "Cain was abel's brother." "You won't forget about my horse, will you?" "I no more than got back to the ranch," "When I saw lew again." "Closer this time." "I recognized him for sure." "If a couple of my hands hadn't showed up," "I have a feeling he'd have come right down to the place." "Something's up, paladin." "Him showing himself this way..." "Whatever it is, I don't want jamie mixed up in it." "Well, jamie is obviously in touch with lew." "They'll have to get together sometime, someplace." "Well, look at what we've got here." "That's jamie's horse." "He claimed he was strayed or stolen a week ago." "Well, he couldn't admit he had given him to lew." "Looks like he was expected." "I'm going down there." "You wait at the ranch" "So I know where you are, in case I need you." "Jamie's in no danger, is he?" "Mr. Murdock, you know your sons, both of them." "You tell me." "It's been a while, boy." "Running a little skinny, ain't you?" "Well, don't you worry." "nice looking grey." "Yours?" "Stable's closed 'til six in the morning." "A man needs his horse, he needs his horse." "He's right where you left him." "But I took his right front shoe off" "Because he was stepping kind of tender." "Wasn't going to put it back on 'til morning." "That was very thoughtful of you." "You buy this horse from the navajo?" "He's my horse, I had him since he was weaned." "That's interesting." "Must be stolen then." "This is a navajo sign painted on him." "Fresh, too." "You come for your horse, there he is." "You gonna meet a girl out in the moonlight?" "Don't pester me, mister." "My comings and goings are no affair of yours," "Unless you want trouble." "What kind of trouble?" "This is all hard country around here," "And I wouldn't advise you to take a horse across it," "Unless he's got good iron on all four feet." "Is that you, mr." "Murdock?" "It's all right, boys." "Go back to the bunkhouse and forget the whole thing." "But someone stole a horse!" "I said, it's all right." "Easy now..." "Was it lew?" "He pistol-whipped you?" "He robbed me." "My own son!" "Jamie..." "Just take it easy now." "How much did lew get?" "Three thousand." "Here you go." "All in silver." "Silver?" "I never trusted paper money." "Paladin..." "Nobody must know who done this." "It'll only hurt jamie." "Maybe jamie could use some of this kind of hurt." "Murdock, can you tell me any reason why" "Lew should paint a navajo sign on jamie's horse?" "It's some kind of a signal between them," "And I can't place it." "It looks something vaguely like this." "Yeah, I've seen that sign before." "Where?" "When lew was 16 he murdered a navajo." "It took everything I had to get him off." "What about the sign?" "It was on the bracelet he took off the dead fella," "And give his girl." "Who?" "What's her name?" "Mae woolrich." "Where can I find her?" "She married a wrangler named bud thompson." "They live south of town." "I don't think that head is too bad." "It'll be all right." "Just rest here." "If you see jamie..." "If I see jamie, he'll be with lew." "mae?" "I'm mrs." "Thompson." "If you're wanting my husband, he's not home." "I beg your pardon, mrs." "Thompson." "But it's you I wanted to see." "What about?" "Lew murdock." "You a friend of lew's?" "Are you?" "Glory, no." "Come on in." "Mrs. Thompson..." "Are you here all alone?" "All the time." "Except for them." "You shut up in there," "Or I'll come in and whale the lot of you." "It's my kids." "How many do you have?" "Three now." "Old lew..." "He's really done it good this time." "Murder, they say." "What do you mean, "this time?"" "He always was a wild one." "Finding trouble, making it." "I remember one time he stole two mules" "And took me off riding with him." "He was fun." "Did you really come here expecting to find him?" "Perhaps not lew in person," "But he did give you a small present one time." "It had a marking on it, something like this." "Lew never gave..." "That's right." "That was that bracelet he took off the indian he killed." "You still have it?" "Oh, no." "Sheriff took it back." "Said lew didn't have no right to get it." "Lew took you to the place where he killed that navajo." "Can you tell me where it is?" "That's longer ago than I can remember now." "Could you draw out how to get from here to there?" "I never was much hand at drawing." "Time is short." "But you see..." "Lew never did me no harm." "Still, I guess I can't hold with killing." "No matter what." "Thank you, mrs." "Thompson." "Say..." "If you do see old lew," "Tell him hello from me." "Will you?" "Lew?" "Lew, you here?" "I watched you all the way." "Like an innocent lamb." "Should've had your gun out and ready every minute." "That wouldn't be too easy, I ain't got a gun." "You know pa never allowed me." "'cause of me?" "Here." "You got one now." "There." "You look like a man." "As soon as it's dark we'll be riding." "You ready to leave, kid?" "Sure, but I didn't bring good news." "Pa wouldn't give me the money." "All I got's a couple of dollars I made working." "I figured we couldn't depend on the old man." "You know how it is." "He's getting on in years," "And now with both of us gone..." "Sure, sure." "Forget it." "Forget him, too." "I got enough money to last us for a while." "Where'd you get money?" "I thought..." "Just leave it up to your big brother, kid." "This is just the beginning." "Now we'll take turns sleeping," "So we'll be wide awake tonight." "Come on." "Better go down to the canyon and hide your horse." "That's all." "Don't move for that gun, lew." "Stop, paladin!" "I don't want to shoot, but if you don't leave him alone, I will." "You're gonna be all right, kid." "He might have brought some company with him." "You keep your gun on him while I go find out." "And don't take any chances." "If he moves, kill him." "I ain't forgetting what you did for me in town." "And I don't want to kill you, but don't try nothing." "Jamie, I've just come from your father." "So that's why you're here." "How much is he paying you?" "Jamie, your father's hurt." "He's very badly hurt!" "Now I know why you helped me." "Pa paid you to." "Did lew tell you that he went to see your father," "After he painted the navajo mark on the horse?" "I don't want to hear no more." "That lew's gun you're holding?" "Works just as good for me." "Somebody pistol-whipped your father, jamie." "Pistol-whipped him." "That's lew's gun." "Take a look at it." "See if there's any dried blood on it." "Go ahead, look at it!" "not a sign!" "He's by himself, all right." "We can put him out of misery" "Without worrying about anybody hearing." "soft-hearted?" "I'll do it with pleasure." "Wait a minute." "Why don't we tie him?" "You said yourself we're pulling out when it's dark." "Tie him and leave him to thirst and hunger?" "That ain't the decent thing, jamie boy." "Why don't you tell jamie why you're willing to leave" "Without the money he promised to bring you." "Or better yet jamie, go feel those saddlebags." "$3,000 in silver." "This is gonna be right enjoyable." "Leave him be!" "You gone crazy or something?" "$3,000 in silver, jamie." "Know anybody else who keeps money like that around here," "Except your father?" "Now you shut up!" "No, lew!" "Kid, it's me." "Your brother!" "Did you take pa's money?" "What if I did?" "Who are you to ask questions?" "Tell him how you pistol-whipped your father." "Tell him how you pistol-whipped him" "With that gun he's holding!" "Jamie..." "There's dried blood on this gun." "Is it pa's?" "Of course not." "You ain't gonna believe him over me." "That's far enough." "Why?" "You and me would've made out." "Why'd you have to hurt pa?" "Because he had it coming to him, you baby." "Crying for that old fake." "What'd he ever do for me, except give me hard work!" "I ain't gonna waste my life chasing cows and eating beans." "That money's as much mine as his!" "And I'm gonna take it!" "You can ride out any time you want," "But you ain't taking the money or me." "I gotta have that money." "Else I'm heading straight for a rope." "You are riding without it." "I'm gonna take it," "Just like I never saw you or him before." "No, you're gonna stop." "You've been using me and pa," "And everyone else that's had feelings for you." "And you're not going to do it anymore." "You couldn't shoot him," "And if you couldn't shoot a stranger," "You sure can't shoot your brother." "Can you, jamie!" "Lew..." "I didn't want to." "I didn't want to." "A man does what has to be done, jamie." "Or he tries." "That's the only way a man can live..." "Or die." "¶ 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?" "¶"