"Come on, Corporal, pick up your feet." "This here box is pretty heavy, Lieutenant." "Gold usually is." "Come on, get a move on." "Get ahold of it in there." "Now you get in there with it, Corporal, and stay there." "Yes, sir." "You can tell Colonel McNally the train's ready." "Awaiting instructions." "Yes, sir." ""Tell Colonel McNally the train is ready... awaiting instructions."" "Thanks." "Sorry, sir." "Hmm?" "Sorry to disturb you, Colonel." "You were told to, weren't you, Lieutenant?" "Yes, sir." "Well, then, you'd have been sorrier if you hadn't." "Yes, sir." "What do you want?" "Message from Plainsburg." "What does Lieutenant Forsythe want?" "Further instructions, sir." "Well, you tell the lieutenant to get in that car, close up and stay there till I knock on the door." "Yes, sir." "Sergeant, I can tell by the way they're talking:" "the gold's on the train." "You hear that?" "The Colonel says for you to get in that car and stay there until he knocks on the door." "Good luck, Lieutenant." "Let's go." "Hey, Sergeant, the train's left Plainsburg." "You all hear that?" "Sure did." "Keep on listening." "Captain, message coming through!" "Train is on its way." "Better get ready." "Don't worry, Captain." "We're a-waitin'." "What time is that train due at River Junction?" "About 15 minutes, sir." "She'll take on wood and water for the Blue Mountain grade." "Who's in command?" "Captain Barrett, sir." "Hmm." "Well, you give Captain Barrett my compliments and tell him if anything goes wrong at River Junction, I will personally see that he rues the day." "Yes, sir." "I can't see how a man can hear a train just by listening to the rail." "Them rails is all put together..." "Pendergrass, can't you shut up!" "Keep it quiet." "Here she comes, Sarge." "All right, get back!" "Don't let nobody see you and don't come out till I tell you." "Hard to let that much gold go by." "Sure is, but when it gets as far as the captain, we'll get it back." "All right, boys, let's go." "Move it, come on!" "Let's get those ropes across the track." "Bigfoot, be telling the captain the train passed here." "Sure enough, Sergeant." "Bide!" "Get them to tie those ropes well." "Tie those ropes hard and fast!" "Hank, you move faster or the train will be here and gone." "Captain... they left River Junction!" "James?" "Yes, sir." "You got enough grease?" "We got enough so when that train hits, it won't go nowhere." "Better put it on extra heavy." "Yes, sir." "Francis." "Yes, sir." "You ready?" "I guess so." "These here hornets are getting madder and madder." "Just listen to them." "They're mad, all right." "How's it look, Lieutenant?" "Well..." "looks just fine." "Just fine." "She's a-coming, Captain." "All right." "Everybody get completely out of sight, and don't come out till you see me." "Hey, Beaufort, get down from that tree." "Train's left River Junction, sir." "Good." "Once it gets here, there's not much to worry about." "Well, it isn't here yet, Lieutenant." "No, sir, but what I..." "So do you mind if I worry?" "No, sir." "May I say something, Colonel?" "Go ahead." "Well, is it because you think the ten miles from River Junction to here is the worst part of the trip that you gave the gold detail to Lieutenant Forsythe?" "That's one of the reasons." "He's been with you quite a while, hasn't he, sir?" "Since the war began." "Yes, sir." "That engine's sure pulling hard up that hill." "We're slowing down, Lieutenant." "Watch it when she hits the grease." "Wheels are slipping, and we have no traction." "Hornets!" "Hornets!" "Thousands of them!" "We got to get out of here!" "We're all set, Captain." "Good work." "Billy Joe, get that wire down." "Blow off her steam, Wilbur." "All right, everybody on." "Cut loose." "Come on, get on." "Hurry up." "Hurry up." "You can make it." "Ah, Jed, come on." "Get up, Jed." "Well, you damn near didn't make it!" "The wire's dead." "Could be the lines are down." "Colonel, the wires are dead between here and River Junction." "Damn!" "Call in your outpost." "Yes, sir." "Sound assembly." "Mount up, men, mount up." "Come on, everyone." "Open the door." "Captain, them hornets is sure busy." "Yeah, I see 'em." "For God sakes, Henry, jump!" "Let's go, let's go out, come on, gang." "Let's move out of here;" "jump, jump!" "Let's get off the train!" "I can't see!" "Jump!" "Johnson, is that all of them?" "I'll find out, Captain." "I can't see nary a soul." "Give those hornets some smoke and get them out of there." "I don't want them there when I go in." "It's all yours, Captain." "Jed!" "Yes, sir." "We're going faster than we figured." "Do you think you could slow it down any?" "Brakes don't do no good, Captain." "We're going to hit hard." "You better find yourselves a place with a good hold." "Good work, Sergeant." "Good to see you, sir." "Have any trouble?" "Not much." "Bide is handling the gold." "Got the horses down here." "Come on." "Let's get it." "You'll be all right, Jeb." "What happened here?" "They greased the track, Colonel." "And then they jumped us and knocked us out and when I come to the rest of the train was gone." "Can you have this thing going?" "No, sir." "All the steam's gone." "Lieutenant." "Sure looks pretty." "It's what we come for, ain't it?" "Hand me some!" "Pass it back, men." "We got plenty for everybody." "We got the gold all right, sir." "Get it loaded as quick as you can." "Hurry up, Bart." "Actually, I have a heavy load, Sarge." "Let's go, boys, keep it moving." "Corporal, get that wagon started." "Let's not take all day, men." "All right, move out." "How bad is he, Corporal?" "It's Thompson, sir-- he's got a bad cut in his shoulder." "I'll be all right, sir." "What's the matter with your face?" "Oh, they threw a hornet's nest in the car, sir." "That's why we had to jump, sir." "Hmm." "Where's Lieutenant Forsythe?" "Down the track a way." "Sir, they say he's hurt pretty bad." "Lieutenant." "Yes, sir-- Danford, Van Tiet." "Fall out and give them a hand here." "Group-- forward, yo!" "Colonel McNally, over here." "Ned." "I'm sorry, sir, but we just couldn't stay in that car with all those hornets." "I know." "You feel this?" "Colonel..." "Colonel, those... those Rebs had to know beforehand about that gold." "They sure as hell did." "They sure got the jump on us." "Can you feel this, Ned?" "No." "It just feels numb, sir." "Can you move your head?" "No." "But it doesn't hurt, sir." "I know I'll be all right." "Lieutenant, your neck's broken." "Well, that's, that's... I'm sorry I can't... wait here with you, Ned, but..." "No, I know, sir." "Colonel." "Catch them, will you?" "I will." "Forward, yo!" "Corporal, get up in that car and take a look-see." "Yes, sir." "Wyler." "Yes, sir." "Get on out ahead of us, see which way they took off." "Probably south." "Colonel!" "Yeah." "The gold's gone-- they've got it, sir." "I thought so." "Over here, Colonel." "They had a wagon, sir." "You can see the tracks." "They split up." "Part of them went out that way with the wagon, and the rest of them out there." "The wagon was heavy coming in and heavy when it left." "Load could have come from this pile of stones, sir." "Maybe that's what they wanted us to think." "You mean the gold's on the wagon?" "Well, I'm going after the wagon." "You take half the troop and follow those that went to the east." "Yes, sir" " Bartell!" "Yes, sir." "You and your squad follow me." "And Lieutenant." "Sir?" "If you catch them, I want you to bring a couple back." "And I want them to be able to talk." "Yes, sir." "Squad, fall out-- ho!" "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Follow me." "Jenkins, check that trail." "Colonel!" "What is it?" "There's a button from a Reb uniform." "Could have come this way." "A wagon couldn't have got up there, could it?" "Not a chance." "Well, then, you and Miller come with me, and the rest of you, follow that trail." "Well, if the gold was in the wagon, they're packing it now." "They came into the water here, sir." "And they went upstream or downstream?" "Who can say, sir?" "Well, all right, you two go downstream, and... I'll go upstream." "Hey, Johnny Reb!" "Stay right where you are." "Yank, I'm unarmed." "That's what bothers me." "Turn around anyway." "Don't drown him!" "I won't." "He hit his head, Captain." "Give us a hand here." "He's heavier than a baby whale." "It's all quiet out there, Sergeant." "Let's hope it stays that way, Captain." "You'd better leave that bandage alone, unless you want to start bleeding again." "How do you feel?" "I hurt." "You hit your head on a rock." "I feel like a damn fool letting you take me." "I would, too." "You haven't got a bad leg." "Bandage fooled me." "Bide over there loaned it to me." "Real blood, too, Colonel." "Made by a Yankee bullet." "Who knocked me off my horse?" "Tuscarora here." "I hurt a little, too, Colonel." "You're a big man." "You're the outfit that's been taking our gold shipments." "That's the fourth lot you've grabbed." "The South needs money, Colonel." "I know you from someplace, don't I?" "You do." "What's your name?" "Pierre Cordona." "What?" "French mother, Mexican father, from New Orleans." "Four or five years ago in Abilene." "That's right." "Something about a horse, wasn't it?" "A big bay horse." "You stole it." "The hell I did-- l won it." "You won a sorrel." "The sorrel turned up lame." "When you play poker, you should know what you're playing for." "I remember now." "We were both on that big bay." "Yeah." "And I was in front and you were behind with a gun in my back." "Well, some of your friends wanted to shoot me." "And I wasn't very happy about it." "Colonel, I'd feel a little better if you'd stay away from those rifles." "Well, neither one of us got hurt." "Now tell me." "What am I doing in this rig?" "Well, Colonel, you used me, and now I'm going to use you." "This time, you're going to be in front and you're going to get us out of here." "And if we run into any Yanks, you're going to be between us and them and you're going to be the first man shot." "I don't know where all our units are." "If you don't know, you better guess pretty good." "If I were you, I would start doing a little thinking before we leave." "When are we leaving?" "As soon as it's dark." "Do you have to tie my hands?" "Captain's orders." "Oh, and Colonel... I'll be riding right behind you." "I can throw this knife pretty good and it don't make no noise." "I hear you, Sergeant." "Douse that light." "Them in the back, too!" "Get ready to move out." "Captain." "What is it, Corporal?" "Which direction do you think that Yank's taking us?" "South." "I can't see the stars, but we should be heading south." "Well, you're wrong, Captain." "Which side of a tree do you think moss grows on?" "The north side." "Well, the moss is on this side, and right now we're going north." "Sure, we're going north." "Half of Sheridan's army is south of here." "Only way we can go is around them." "I don't know whether I can get you through, but it's your idea, Captain, and you're stuck with it." "You better not be trying something, Colonel." "You might be sorry for it." "Lead on." "Hold it, Colonel." "Captain." "Yeah?" "We're getting near water, and I smell smoke." "Take a look, Sergeant." "Better keep an eye on the Yank." "What do you think, Colonel?" "I told you I can't keep track of every outfit." "Might even be some of your Johnny Rebs." "They're Yanks, all right-- a cavalry outfit." "That'd be the 10th Ohio." "They were 20 miles from here yesterday." "You keep pretty good track of where you are, Colonel." "I try to, Sergeant." "Can we go by them?" "Better ask the Yank here." "Well, Colonel?" "Well, the best way to go is right by them, east." "Pass the word." "We're right near a Yankee camp." "Keep your horses quiet." "Use your hands if you have to." "And how am I supposed to do that with mine tied?" "Cut him loose, Sergeant." "You be mighty careful, Colonel." "I will, Sergeant." "Go ahead-- slow." "See anything, Colonel?" "Rebs on your flank, look alive!" "Get over here!" "Every man for himself." "You men separate and ride south." "We'll meet back by the bridge." "Ride fast, but don't lose that gold." "O'Brien, you and Morgan..." "Let's go." "Don't get nervous, Sergeant." "Just drop that horse pistol." "Keep moving." "Your captain's over by that log." "What happened to him, Colonel?" "He hit his head." "He's all right." "Wake him up." "What's in that canteen, Sergeant?" "Corn liquor." "I could use a little of that myself." "Better be quiet." "Your captain's in the wrong uniform, remember." "Well, Captain, how do you feel?" "Back in the cave, you said you felt like a fool." "Now I do." "I thought you gave in a little too easy, Colonel." "When we was going north to get away, we was just going into trouble." "You wanted that gold bad, didn't you, Colonel?" "Not as bad as I wanted you two." "Somebody in my outfit had to be giving you information." "I want him." "And you want us to tell you." "Tell me, and I'll cut you loose and turn my back." "The two of you will have a good chance of getting away." "Otherwise, you're a prisoner in the wrong uniform." "You know what that can get you." "Yeah, I know." "And our boys lose all chance of getting more gold?" "Uh-uh." "The war isn't over yet, Colonel." "All right." "Over here!" "Captain!" "Hold up!" "Over here!" "Captain." "Just got this." "Damn, all this for nothing!" "Can you use a blanket?" "Sure can, sir." "Give him a blanket, Corporal." "Next man." "You got boots or shoes?" "Chills and fever?" "No, sir." "Feeling bloated, cramps?" "No, sir." "Well, you will have when you tangle with that salt pork they're giving out." "Here, drink this." "Next man." "Name, rank, unit." "McCord, Bide, lance corporal," "Tupelo Fusiliers." "Tupelo Fusiliers?" "Kind of a small outfit." "Kept on getting smaller." "Last time I heard, I was all of it." "Captain." "Length of internment, eight months." "Here, give that to the paymaster." "Next?" "You want a blanket?" "You were right." "I thought he'd be here." "Cordona, Pierre, captain," "First Louisiana Cavalry." "You've got two dollars coming to you, Captain." "Sign here." "You're entitled to your sword, Captain." "Could I have a pistol, sir?" "No firearms." "Never mind about the sword." "Here's your two dollars." "Phillips, Tuscarora, sergeant," "First Louisiana Cavalry." "Sign here, Sergeant." "McCord, Bide, lance corporal," "First Louisiana Cavalry." "Sign here." "Pierre and Tuscarora." "Got a good memory, Colonel." "Glad you fellas weathered the storm." "Well, it's a simple life, Colonel-- no wine, no woman, no song." "And no whiskey." "Well, I can remedy that." "You two don't mind drinking with a blue belly?" "Colonel, sir, I'd drink with the devil himself." "I feel just like he does." "We're headed in the right direction." "Hi, Colonel." "Hello, Petey, whiskey for three." "None of that cow purge, give us some whiskey." "But Colonel, this is planter's stock." "Jamaica rum." "I paid dear for this!" "And you charge dear for it." "Give us some of that stuff on the bottom shelf." "Give me the bottle." "Colonel, I think I know why you want to see us." "I take it you haven't found the fella who gave us the information about your gold shipments." "Who sold you the information about our gold shipments." "No, I haven't." "But I will." "You make it sound like it's something personal, Colonel." "Well, a boy that I watched grow up... was in that car that you threw the hornets into." "Was he hurt bad?" "We buried him the next day." "I'm sorry." "Colonel, we killed your friend, but you don't seem to hold that against us." "Well, what you did was an act of war, but selling information, that's treason." "Rotten treachery for money." "I want the name of that man." "There were two men-- l don't know their names." "We gave them the money and they gave us the papers with information." "Well, can you describe them?" "One was a big man, almost as big as you." "The other one..." "Well, you were closer." "The other fella, even in the dark he stood out." "He's like an albino, white hair, white skin, smaller man." "That's all." "Well, that's more than I had." "You fellas can do me a favor." "If you run into either one of them, let me know." "You can be sure of that." "Another drink?" "How about letting us buy you a drink?" "What'd they give you when you signed off?" "Two dollars." "Where're you heading?" "Oh, just look around." "I'm going back to Texas." "Man who brought me up has a ranch in Rio Lobo." "Well, two dollars won't get you very far." "Since you two've been locked up, our payrolls have been coming through pretty regularly." "That'll get you to Texas." "You can owe me." "Colonel, I never thought I'd want to kiss a Yankee." "Colonel, if we run into one of those fellas you're after, where can we reach you?" "Blackthorne, Texas." "That's near your Rio Lobo country." "The sheriff there can always get in touch with me." "I see the sheriff of Blackthorne County has earned himself some bounty money." "One of these little hides can buy a man a lot of drinks." "Good to see you, Cord." "Well, thanks." "I was wondering when you'd show up." "Well, I got your message, Pat, that Pierre Cordona wanted to see me." "Yeah, you got here just in time." "He got in last night." "He's up at the hotel." "Come on in." "I'll give you a drink." "What's it all about, Cord?" "Will you tell me why you're here?" "Well..." "Didn't... didn't Cordona grab a couple of army payrolls from the Yanks?" "That's right." "And I heard that, uh, you captured him and put him in a prison camp." "You heard right." "Cord..." "You're not fixing on causing any trouble, are you?" "I wouldn't like that." "Don't worry, Pat." "And besides, you're too good for that young fella." "There's no hard feelings between us." "The war is over." "Oh, that's good." "Then why do you want to see him?" "The only reason Cordona could get away with those payrolls was because some people on our side were selling him information." "I'm after them." "Are you working for the army, or is this something personal?" "Both." "Sheriff, I'd say you were going to have company." "Which one of you is the sheriff?" "I am, miss." "I'm Pat Cronin." "If there's anything..." "Well, I want to report a murder." "A murder?" "Yes, and I want the man who did it arrested." "Where'd this happen?" "ln Rio Lobo." "Oh, I'm sorry, miss." "What do you mean, you're sorry?" "that's out of my jurisdiction." "Does that mean you're not going to do anything about it?" "Well, it means that..." "Excuse me, miss, you said "Rio Lobo."" "Are you connected with the sheriff's office?" "Huh?" "Are you connected with the sheriff's office?" "Well, no, I..." "Will you please stay out of this?" "Sheriff, I asked you a question." "Does that mean you're not going to do anything?" "It means I can't do anything." "I have no authority there." "Look, a man was shot and killed!" "Miss, unless a U.S. Marshal or the sheriff of Rio Lobo asks me..." "You know the sheriff of Rio Lobo, don't you?" "Yes, ma'am, I do." "And you know he's not going to ask you." "I know that, too." "Especially since the man who committed the murder was one of his deputies." "I'm sorry, miss." "Well, so am I." "I just thought..." "So am I!" "Who is the sheriff of Rio Lobo?" "Tom Hendricks." "Blue Tom?" "That's right." "Ever run into him?" "Well, I chased him enough, but I never got lucky." "Well, how about that drink?" "I'm out." "As usual." "I'll buy you one." "Town's growing up, Pat." "Good morning, Hank." "Morning, Sheriff, can I help you?" "I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, Cord McNally." "Glad to meet you." "Thank you. I'm looking for a Pierre Cordona." "He's staying here." "Room 19." "He's gone." "He's up there, all right." "Just a minute." "He left a message about something." "Let's see, now..." "He said he'd shoot anybody who woke him up unless the building was on fire." "He gave me two dollars." "Oh, it was to see that nobody started a fire." "Oh, two dollars'll buy a lot of sleep around here." "I guess we can wait for a while." "How about that drink?" "And remember, you're buying." "Hello, Jane." "Hi, Sheriff." "Sit down." "Give us a bottle, Jim." "Little Miss Busybody." "She'll either be in the jail or the hotel." "Chuck, take a look in the jail." "Nobody in the jail, Whitey." "All right." "George, you go around back." "Come in that way." "Right." "You two come with me." "Pat." "Well, young lady, you gave us quite a chase." "Sheriff, this is the man that I wanted you to arrest." "He's the murderer." "Well, that may give the sheriff the wrong idea about me." "It was self-defense, Sheriff." "Old man tried to knife..." "That's a lie, he didn't have any..." "Hold on, miss, I can handle this." "Who are you, mister?" "And what exactly is your business here?" "Name's Carter," "Whitey Carter." "I'm a deputy from Rio Lobo." "As to my business, I came looking for her-- she's wanted." "Wanted!" "What for?" "She and the old man she lived with ran one of them medicine shows." "You know, snake oil, crooked shell games, pick a few pockets on the side." "That's another lie!" "I didn't do anything." "She was the come-on." "Sheriff in Rio Lobo just wants to talk to her, so I'll take her along with me." "Just a minute, Mr. Carter." "I'm the sheriff of Blackthorne, and I want to see a warrant." "A warrant?" "For the young lady's arrest." "Well... I never thought about that." "Without a warrant, you're not taking anybody." "I got a warrant right here, Sheriff." "Satisfied, Sheriff?" "Now, drop your gun and go sit down." "All right, everyone stand still, no one gets hurt." "Come on, you." "Look out, Cord!" "Did they hit you, Pat?" "No, I did it myself when I hit the floor." "You're getting too old for these dive downs." "Well, Captain..." "Hello, Colonel." "Glad you joined us when you did." "I heard the racket and somehow I knew it was you." "How did it start?" "Well, this young lady here shot that white-haired man." "She really didn't want to go with him, did she?" "Can you blame her?" "Well, I'll be damned." "Look here, Colonel." "This was one of the fellas you were hunting." "Well, I never..." "Are you sure?" "I'm sure." "is he dead?" "Unfortunately, yes." "Did I kill him?" "Not entirely, but you sure helped." "Well, I couldn't let him take me." "I'd rather be dead." "But you damn near got us all killed." "Well, I'm sorry, I..." "I just," "Are you going to faint?" "I, I..." "What'll I do with her?" "Bring her up to my room." "Where is it?" "Up there on the left side." "The door is open." "There's somebody in there!" "Oh, oh, I forgot." "Come on, Maribel, get up." "What are you waking me up for?" "Here's your robe, come on, move on." "Why can't I sleep?" "I'll explain later." "Come on." "is that what I'm leaving for?" "Yes." "I thought you were a gentleman." "You've been busy." "Just keeping out of trouble." "Hank, go get the undertaker." "Yes, sir." "Never mind, here he comes." "I heard some shooting, Sheriff." "Do you need me?" "Yes, Ruf, we got a lot of work for you:" "one over there, two over here, and one over in the corner." "Well, I'll get right at it." "What did you find out?" "I talked to the stage driver that brought the girl from Rio Lobo." "Said he picked her up a couple of miles out of town." "She was telling the truth, all right." "He was after her, and he shot the old man with the medicine wagon." "Now, what did Tuscarora say in that letter?" "Only that he saw one of the men you were after, a man with white hair." "Well, that'd be Whitey from downstairs." "He said that, uh, Whitey worked for a rich Yankee." "Tuscarora said he has never seen this Yank yet." "Well, you didn't come all the way to Blackthorne to tell me that." "No." "Tuscarora's in trouble." "They're trying to take his old man's land." "You thought I'd join in?" "Two guns are better than one." "Maybe we're after the same thing." "Maybe I can help you." "Well, I reckon I'm in." "I'll go as far as Rio Lobo, and we'll find out." "What did you..." "What did you just say?" "Well, how do you feel?" "Oh, I don't know." "Aren't you the man that came downstairs?" "Joined in and helped us when we needed it." "Pierre Cordona." "Miss..." "What is your name?" "It's Shasta..." "Shasta Delaney." "You don't have any pants on, Mr. Cordona." "I didn't have much time after the shooting." "You have time now, don't you?" "Yes, I..." "Well, why don't you put them on?" "'Cause you're lying on them." "Oh." "You don't have many clothes on yourself." "Who unbuttoned...?" "Who took my clothes off?" "I did." "Why?" "We flipped a coin, and I won." "Oh, I've never heard of anything..." "Haven't you ever heard of loosening a person's clothes when they faint?" "Oh, yes." "I guess I'm acting like an idiot, aren't I?" "I'd say almost." "Yeah, I would say so, too." "I'm sorry." "Suppose l could have a drink?" "You're not going to faint again, are you?" "No, Mr. McNally." "Do you only take a drink when you're about to faint?" "I'd hardly say that, miss." "Thank you." "You all right?" "Mm-hmm." "Oh, when I was waking up, didn't I hear you say something about going to Rio Lobo?" "You did." "Good-- well, I'm going with you." "You..." "O-Oh, no, you're not." "Don't be silly." "How much do you know about Rio Lobo?" "You've never been there, have you?" "Either of you." "You don't know where to go or who to talk to." "You don't even know who's a friend or an enemy." "Well, I can help." "Why do you want to go?" "Well, l-l want to get my wagon." "Old Charlie wanted me to have it." "Oh." "Every time I think about him, I..." "Anyway, it's all I own." "You can't ride in that outfit." "Well, if you get me a horse and my valise, I'll be ready in ten minutes." "Oh, Captain." "When you get the troop paraded, let me know." "I'll be in the bar." "There she is." "I'll take that." "How far is it to Rio Lobo?" "Oh, 70 or 80 miles." "Took three days on the stage." "Well, it'll take us longer than that." "All ready." "Oh, we forgot something." "Can she ride?" "Can you?" "Oh, which side of the horse do you get on?" "Left side..." "I knew it." "Ah!" "You're a pretty good teacher, Frenchy." "Yeah." "Well, this looks like a good place to bed down." "Cold, but it'll get colder." "I'll see what I can find to make a fire." "Shasta, you don't happen to have a bottle of that doctor's snake oil with you, do you?" "Just happen to have some." "Good." "What are you so happy about, Colonel?" "Well, I've had about the right number of drinks, and I am warm and I'm relaxed." "Well, if you gentle people can manage without me, I shall go to sleep." "Good night." "Night." "Night." "I'm freezing." "This will help." "Don't do that." "I don't like it." "Well, I'm sorry." "I was going... I'm tired of being pawed." "I've had enough." "What happened?" "What made you say that?" "Oh, why go into it?" "All right." "I was married." "It wasn't a good marriage." "He couldn't drink, but he did anyway." "And when he did, he wasn't good." "Like when he drank, he used to gamble." "And when he lost, he thought he was being cheated." "I don't know if he was or not, but the other guy was faster and a good shot." "So I had to get a job." "Do you know what it's like to work in a saloon?" "No." "No." "They never leave you alone." "Never." "And good old Charlie Simms came along... the only man who was ever nice to me." "And they killed him." "Do have any more questions?" "Yeah." "What are you going to do now?" "I'm going to bed." "I mean, after this is all over." "Well, I'm going to get Charlie's wagon and then I'm going to, uh... I don't know." "You can't run a medicine show by yourself." "Oh, I don't know." "I'm pretty good at getting people to buy that Apache herb tonic." "Something will turn up." "It always does." "You know, I like you." "Why?" "Because you don't cry." "Oh, but I do." "You saw me." "You cried for your friend, not for yourself." "There's a lot of difference." "Don't be nice to me." "Please." "Wait." "I didn't figure..." "Didn't you want me to do that?" "Of course I did, sure I did, but I'm generally the one who starts it." "Well, that's why I started it... because now I know when it will stop." "Well, I would..." "Oh." "Good night." "Pierre?" "Yeah?" "See these poles above me?" "Mm-hmm." "I can't figure out what they're for." "They're, like, all burnt." "Well, I would say those poles were used by the Indians to bury their dead." "They'd put the bodies on the poles and burn them up." "What?" "!" "Probably you're sleeping on the skull of some brave." "I'm what?" "!" "Hey." "Hey." "How about waking up?" "How did she get here?" "Why don't you ask her?" "Hey, you." "How'd you get here?" "What?" "Oh." "When you were asleep, it was cold." "Well, why me?" "Why didn't you pick on him?" "Well, he's young, and I thought that..." "Well, you're older..." "You're comfortable." "Comfortable?" "Been called a lot of things, but "comfortable"... I'll say this:" "you're a lot better than a hot brick to keep a man warm." "Nice to be appreciated." "is that coffee I smell?" "It is." "If you get up, you can have some." "Rise and shine." "Come on." "Well, this is Rio Lobo." "Take a look." "Looks quiet enough." "Too late to start anything now." "Where's Tuscarora's girlfriend live?" "You said we could hole up there." "Yes-- she's on the edge of town." "There's a corral nearby we can put the horses." "Can we get there without being seen?" "Yes, if you can get across the street." "Take a look, Frenchy." "Right." "?" "Quién es?" "It's me" " Shasta." "Ay!" "Un momentito." "Hurry, Maria." "Oh, Shasta." "Listen, we don't have much time." "These are friends of Tuscarora's." "They're here to help Mr. Phillips." "This is Captain Cordona." "?" "Qué tal?" "And this is Colonel McNally." "Maria, can we come in?" "We have to have a place to stay tonight." "Sí, but the horses... ls not good to have them here." "Where's a good place?" "Over there you will find an empty house." "You see that?" "And you will find a corral on the right." "All right, I'll take them." "But be careful." "They are watching." "You went away." "Why did you come back here?" "Oh, Maria, it's a long story, but first, tell me what's been happening here." "What has Ketcham and the sheriff been doing?" "They have been after Phillips to sell his ranch." "Has he sold it?" "I don't know." "I haven't seen Tuscarora since you went away." "I am afraid, Shasta, and everybody's afraid here." "The sheriff's men are watching everywhere." "They're watching this house?" "Everywhere." "It's not going to be safe for you to stay here." "We have to stay here tonight." "Sí, sí." "And we haven't eaten." "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think." "But I'll just prepare something for you." "I'm sorry, miss." "There's someone chasing me, and I don't have any other place to go." "You don't have to go." "What?" "You can stay here." "Would you mind putting that light out?" "As you wish." "Thanks." "Don't stand in the middle of the room." "Get away from there." "Can you see anyone?" "I don't see a soul." "Would you like me to have a look?" "I'm looking." "Yes, but I could go outside." "You'd better put some clothes on first." "As you wish." "No, I didn't mean that exactly, ma'am." "I don't think you should go out there." "Well, then we, uh..." "We could stay here." "I have plenty of tortillas and beans and chili and even some wine." "Sounds good." "I wish I could stay." "Why not?" "Because I think they've gone now." "I must get back to my friends." "I'm sorry." "I don't know how to thank you." "You don't have to." "My name is Pierre." "What's yours?" "Amelita." "Thank you, Amelita." "Wait a minute." "It's all right." "That smells good." "?" "Quién es?" "Cordona." "Come in." "Where you been?" "I put the horses away, and I was hiding." "Hiding from whom?" "From the people that watch the town." "I told you." "Where were you?" "In the house of a girl." "A girl?" "Pretty fast worker." "Where did you meet her?" "I crashed the door, and there she was." "Oh, really." "Yeah, she's pretty, dark hair, and I think her name is Amelita." "Oh, I know her." "She's a friend of mine." "Well, she helped me." "Well, I hope you had fun." "Stop it, Shasta." "What are we going to do now?" "Well, we're going to stay here tonight." "In the morning, I'll go into town and see what I can find out." "Why don't we go into Phillips' ranch and...?" "If they're watching this town, they're certainly watching the ranch, and the sheriff knows you, doesn't he?" "He does." "Well, he'll sure as hell want to know what you're doing here." "He always wants to know all about any stranger." "Well..." "Well, wrap up your wrist and say you hurt yourself and say you're looking for a doctor." "Better the dentist." "He's a friend of Tuscarora and Mr. Phillips." "He can tell you much." "Well, I feel a toothache coming on." "I hope you have plenty of this wine, Maria." "Come on, boys!" "Get them in here!" "Wait up!" "Thanks, boys." "Bide, see they get some water, will you?" "I'll be back in a little while." "You be careful." "Been a long time, Maria." "All right, boys, come on now." "Tuscarora, come here." "You want to see me?" "You just brought some horses into town, didn't you?" "That's right." "They yours?" "They're ours." "Well, I think some of those horses were stolen." "That's a lie." "No!" "No!" "Leave him alone!" "Stop it!" "Just stop it!" "Stop it!" "You will kill him!" "All right, that's enough." "What's going on?" "Just teaching him some manners, Sheriff." "He's been stealing horses." "We got to save enough of him to hang." "Take him over to the jail." "Come on, on your feet." "Bring the girl along, too." "Why?" "Are you all right, lady?" "Are you?" "Sí." "You better go on home." "Go on." "You're kind of new around here, aren't you?" "Just got in this morning." "Figure on staying long?" "Bum tooth." "Hey, doc!" "Got a customer for you." "Oh, mister..." "After you get that tooth fixed, just amble on out of town." "Sounds like good advice." "Doctor." "Come on in, sir." "Keep an eye on that big fella." "See if he really has a bad tooth." "So you've got a bad tooth." "No, I haven't." "Get in the chair." "I told you, my tooth is all right." "Get in the chair." "Well, can't we just talk?" "See that fella over there by the jail?" "He's checking out your story on your tooth." "All right, open real wide." "Well, I can't talk with my mouth open." "I'll ask the questions." "You just nod or shake your head." "Now, that girl, Maria-- the one that got knocked around-- she send you?" "Yeah." "I thought so, the way you bolted in here." "Ouch, that hurts!" "Well, then yell." "Most of my patients yell a lot." "Ouch!" "Take a look out there." "Ow!" "Ooh!" "Ow!" "Ow!" "Oh!" "He's getting..." "He's gone." "is that my tooth?" "No, no." "No, yours are fine." "Tell me what's going on around here." "Well, the man really running things and putting up all the money is a man named Ketcham." "Came in here right after the war." "Hendricks killed the sheriff we had and Ketcham made Hendricks the new sheriff." "Take a look out there." "I wish I could hear what they're saying." "Don't have to." "Blackmail." "If they do things the way they've been doing them," "Hendricks will send his bully boys out to old man Phillips' ranch." "They'll run off all his stock, so he's on foot." "Then they'll tell him that the way to keep his boy from being hanged is to sign over his ranch to them for a quarter of what it's worth." "Now, I know that old man." "He's stubborn as hell, but he dearly loves that boy." "So they'll keep him there till he cracks, signs over his land." "Well, Ketcham has been picking up a lot of land." "All of it that's any good, Mr., uh..." "Mr...?" "Doesn't matter." "Well, Mr. Doesn't Matter, I hope you can do something." "You got plenty of help?" "Well, no..." "no, I haven't." "Well, God be with you." "I still wish you luck." "We ought to give 'em one more good yell." "They usually yell a lot when I give them a shot of this." "Hey... hey, ow!" "That's the real stuff." "Well, if you'd been a good enough actor, I wouldn't have used it." "That'll be a dollar, six bits." "Will four bits be just as good?" "Just as good." "Thank you, Mr. Doesn't Matter." "McNally." "I'll be seeing you." "You must hide." "Maria told me to tell you that the sheriff is sending some men here." "Where can we hide in here?" "I don't know." "Under the bed." "Hurry." "Oh, wait a minute." "First pour some water over my head." "All of it?" "Yes, go ahead." "Who is it?" "Open up." "Just a minute." "Hurry it up." "Just a minute." "Anybody else in here?" "Well, you're here." "I can't see." "Who are you?" "Sheriff's office." "Nobody in here." "They're gone now." "What are you laughing at?" "You wouldn't believe what he said under there." "You don't have to say those things." "They're private." "Do you really get away with that?" "Well, yes." "Do you know what he said?" "No, what did he say?" "He said, "One more kiss before we die."" "Can you imagine?" "That's stupid." "It is not." "Who is it?" "Me." "What did you find out?" "Plenty." "They slapped Maria around this morning, put Tuscarora in jail for stealing his own horses, and they've sent men out to old man Phillips' ranch to force him to give in." "Are we going to let them?" "Well, not if we can help it." "I'm sorry I couldn't get here before." "There were men." "We had visitors." "Well, I was just asking the way to Phillips' ranch." "I'll take you." "Oh, no, not a chance." "Well, she can't stay here." "You know that, don't you?" "I'll take the wagon." "Why?" "Because it's the only thing I've got left and I might not get a chance to come back and get it." "You must have a lot of faith in us." "Well, you're good, but you're taking on a lot." "Can you get out of town without being seen?" "With a little bit of luck." "Come help me, Amelita." "I'll meet you both east of town about a half mile from the little church." "The little church?" "I can show you." "is there anything else I can do for you?" "Well, pray a little." "We'll be back if things work out right." "It's very much for just two men." "I hope there will be three when we see Mr. Phillips." "Will you show us the way?" "Yes, I know a better way." "Follow me." "There are two of them out front by the gate." "I don't see the third one." "Wait a minute." "See that shack behind the house?" "Doesn't that look like cigarette smoke?" "You got good eyes." "I see him." "Think you can handle him?" "Sure, if I can get in behind him." "All right." "How about you?" "We can leave Shasta at the wagon and when we get through..." "Through!" "You'll be through, all right." "How are you going to get close enough to those two men?" "Well, this comfortable old man figured he'd ride right down there and shoot him." "Yeah, well, how are you going to get into the house?" "Old man Phillips will probably blow your head off before he even knows what side you're on." "Madam, did you happen to...?" "Don't be sarcastic." "Do you happen to have any suggestions?" "Yes, I do." "I'll drive the wagon in." "You'll be in back." "Want to get yourself killed?" "Look, they're part of the bunch that killed Charlie Simms." "I just want them to pay for it." "No, no, no, I'm against it." "This is your first step, isn't it?" "If you fall down, you won't get another chance." "I will not permit it." "You won't permit it?" "!" "Oh, he's in love with me." "I didn't say I was in love with you." "Well, you said you thought you were." "Now, listen, I don't want..." "Are we going to rescue an old man" "or stand around here and argue?" "Right." "Just give me two minutes before you start, and I still don't like it." "This thing between you two, kind of sudden, isn't it?" "Oh, it's not me." "It's him." "Are all Mexicans as sudden as he is?" "One little kiss, and the balloon goes up." "Let's get in the wagon." "Well, he's had his two minutes." "About two minutes more and we'll know whether your idea was any good." "If the shooting starts, don't forget to duck!" "Yes, Colonel." "Let's go!" "Hyah!" "Got a visitor." "What in tarnation is that thing?" "Hold it right there, miss!" "Where do you think you're going?" "Well, my horses need water." "I thought I could get some here." "It ain't very safe to go that way." "Hey, ain't that the girl Whitey Carter went looking for?" "Are you the girl?" "Yeah, I'm the girl." "You got any more of that snake oil?" "Yeah, there's plenty in the back of the wagon." "I think I'll get some." "Where've you been?" "They've been looking all over for you." "Oh, I don't know, I've been..." "Oh, I guess I can tell you." "I don't like Whitey." "I didn't want him to find me." "Well, everybody has got different taste." "You can't..." "What was that?" "Probably your thirsty friend getting some snake oil." "Hey, tell me, what's a girl supposed to do when a man keeps following her around?" "Hmm?" "I'm tired." "And I haven't slept, except for the other night over a place where an Indian was buried." "It was awful!" "Indian?" "Where was the Indian buried?" "I don't know, I can't remember." "But it was just before somebody hit me." "They hit you?" "Who?" "I didn't see him, but he hit me." "Where?" "There." "Well, you certainly took long enough." "I was running out of things to say." "That I can't believe." "Hurry it up." "Just a minute." "What's goin' on out there?" "!" "Who's out there?" "!" "You'd better speak up or I'll shoot!" "Hold on, up there, we're trying to help you!" "Hyah!" "Hold your fire, you fool!" "Don't you come no closer!" "I'll go." "He won't shoot a woman." "Don't count on it!" "Mr. Phillips, let me in!" "You just stay where you are out there!" "What's going on over there?" "Look out, he'll shoot you!" "Stay away from that window!" "Where's Shasta?" "Inside." "Who's out there?" "!" "It's me!" "Who's "me"?" "!" "Pierre Cordona." "Cordona?" "You Tuscarora's captain?" "Used to be." "Well, don't you try nothing!" "You, big fella!" "Get down off that contraption." "Now, get your hands up high." "Walk up here, nice and easy." "You, too, Cordona." "And keep 'em high." "Just keep 'em up there." "Just keep your hands up, and say something." "Go ahead!" "Well, what'll I say?" "Just talk to me-- l want to hear you talk." "Well, if you'd quit prodding me with that... I knowed it!" "I knowed it." "I can tell by your talkin', you're a Yank." "Didn't you tell him?" "Well, he's a rather difficult man to convince." "Well, so you'd be, too, if you had a flock of no-goods like that a-hangin' on ya." "Mr. Phillips, you..." "You said you was my boy's captain." "How do I know that?" "Um... did he write to you about the first battle we were in?" "Mm-hmm." "Did he get shot in the arm?" "Well, I guess you're who you say you are." "Now, what's this damn big Yank doin' here?" "Well, this "damn big Yank" is after another "damn big Yank"" "and helping you in the process." "Sounds like you mean that." "What's your name?" "Cord McNally." "Didn't Tuscarora tell you about me?" ""Cord McNally"... he sure did." "And I ain't goin' to repeat what he said." "Tell me about her." "You know, I'd have shot her when she came running up here but she's got the blame best lookin' legs I ever saw." "I didn't have the view you did, Mr. Phillips." "What's she doin' here?" "Whitey Carter murdered one of her friends." "Oh... old Charlie Simms." "Yeah, I heared about that." "Now I know who she is." "Whitey is dead." "That's the best news I heared all year." "Who killed him?" "She did." "Well, I'll be a suck-egg mule." "Legs like that and can shoot, too." "Well, I sure am obliged to you folks for getting me out of the fix I's in." "This calls for a drink." "Well, I could sure use one." "You know, they've got my boy, don't ya?" "What do you plan on doin' about that?" "Just going to ride into town and bust open the jail?" "Boy, that stuff is not for the young." "What'd you brew that with?" "I asked you, you just going to bust open the jail?" "The answer is no, unless you want your boy killed." "Think I'm a fool?" "That's not the question." "We've got to have something to bargain with." "Like what?" "Like Ketcham." "Ketcham?" "Are you serious or you crazy?" "Little bit of both." "But it's the only way I know to get your boy back." "Well, how do you get Ketcham?" "You know his ranch pretty well, don't you?" "I was there before he had it." "How far is it?" "Hmm, two, three hours." "You coming with us?" "Reckon I'm crazy, too." "is there a safe place here where we can leave this young lady while we're gone?" "Well, Hank Prior's place is on the way." "Reckon we could get there before dark if we was to leave right away." "No, I'm going with you." "I can help." "You're not going." "Well, yes, I am..." "You're not going!" "You've been trying to run this show since we met." "Now, listen to me and keep still." "You are not going." "Oh, come..." "You tell 'em, Frenchy." "Yeah." "Much obliged, Hank." "I'd give every damn horse I own to get a chance at that fella." "Mr. Prior, if we don't come back you said that... I'm not going to disappoint ya." "I told you I'd get the girl to Blackthorne." "Thank you." "No, no, no." "What the...?" "Frenchy!" "You figuring on coming with us or you got something better to do?" "That's a silly question, Colonel." "Like to be doin' that yourself, wouldn't ya?" "No, Mr. Phillips, not a chance." "I'm just comfortable." "You keep calling me "Frenchy."" "I'm half Mexican, you know?" "Yeah, well, which half was kneeling and which half was kissing her hand?" "Where's Ketcham apt to be?" "Where's Ketcham apt to be?" "The big house." "What does he look like?" "Big man, black hair, mustache." "Well, that could be anybody." "Could also be the man that was with Whitey when we paid the money." "Could be." "How many men has he got?" "15, 20 hands." "They'd be in the bunkhouse." "One over there to the left, another one farther off to the right." "Then there's these men he's got guarding' the place, which you soldier boys would call "sentries."" "Ketcham doesn't take many chances." "I see three of 'em." "Oh, four." "There's one over here by the gate." "Well, we'll have to get them first." "Then get into that house and grab Ketcham." "Use him to hold the rest off." "We'd better not kill him, then." "No, we'd better not kill him." "Well, Frenchy?" "I think I can take the one in front of the house." "I'll take the one off to the left, the one in the front of the bunkhouse." "Leave one for me." "You think you could sneak up on that fella at the gate?" "I could sneak up on a coyote if I have a mind to." "You better give me a little start." "No sense letting' this go to waste." "Remind me to ask Tuscarora a question." "About what?" "He said you were a saintly old man that didn't hold with all the vices." "I don't. I don't hold with them at all." "But that don't stop me from takin' a saintly pleasure in them whenever I get a chance." "Why don't you blow a bugle?" "You ready?" "If you ain't, I'll go by myself." "Where's the old man?" "Over there." "Did you get the fella at the gate?" "He's at another gate now, lookin' for Saint Peter." "That big man at the desk-- he's the one I gave the money to." "Sergeant lke Gorman." "What the...?" "Guards!" "Tom, Reg!" "What are you...?" "I've waited a long time for this!" "Sergeant Major Gorman, how does it feel?" "Remember Lieutenant Forsythe?" "!" "Well, here's one for him!" "Get up." "Hold 'em for a while." "Here's another!" "That's a dandy, McNally." "Give him one for Tuscarora!" "All right, Sergeant, let's talk to your people." "You tell them they move a finger, and I blow your head off." "Yell out." "Can you hear me?" "This is Ketcham!" "Don't move, don't do anything!" "You hear me?" "!" "Yeah, we hear you!" "Now, tell them to get our horses and one for you." "Bring their horses around and one for me!" "All right, Mr. Ketcham." "When you get him softened up, find out where he hides them water rights and deeds and all that stuff he's been stealing." "You don't think I'd be fool enough to keep them here, do you?" "Where do you keep them?" "!" "Where are they?" "!" "Down at the bank." "Where?" "!" "In the bank." "Where?" "They're here... behind that cabinet..." "in the safe." "Take a look." "Locked." "There." "Here they are, McNally!" "All the stuff we was lookin' for!" "Look out!" "I'm on fire!" "Help me!" "Someone help me, please!" "Let him burn." "No, McNally, don't let him burn till he signs these papers." "Are you ready to sign?" "!" "Please, I'll sign anything!" "I'll do anything!" "All right, Frenchy." "Hurry!" "Ketcham, take a look at this." "Them triggers is wired back." "Now, you can see what happens if my thumb slips off." "And my thumbs ain't as strong as they used to be." "We got your horses!" "What do you want us to do with them?" "!" "Bring them up to the house!" "Come on, let's go." "One man hold the horses, the rest of you clear out!" "I'm coming outside!" "Do what he says." "Don't try anything." "You take the sorrel, that one's mine." "Can you cover him, Colonel, while I get up?" "Get up." "All that fighting we done in there wore me out." "All right, Ketcham, move out." "Let's hold it up here." "I can't keep riding like this." "Would you rather walk?" "Anybody following us?" "Didn't see anyone." "Let's talk a bit." "You want your boy out of jail, don't you, Mr. Phillips?" "You're damn right, I do." "Well, how do we get him out?" "We use Ketcham." "We give them Ketcham, and how long do you think before Hendricks will have him back and the rest of us, too?" "You and your dad-blamed military mind, you got to know the answer to everything." "What'll we do?" "All right, us civilians ain't the fools you Yanks think." "There's a fort at Longhorn Springs, ain't they?" "That's right." "All right, we take him there." "And what'll Hendricks be doing all this time?" "He'd rather see Ketcham dead than the army get him." "You got something in mind, Colonel?" "Yeah." "We don't take Tuscarora out of jail, we join him there-- fort up." "You, Frenchy..." "And I go into Longhorn Springs and bring in the cavalry." "That's smart for a captain, Frenchy." "Thank you, sir." "You ought to be back by late tomorrow afternoon." "If we run into any trouble, we can hold out till then." "Stay on this trail till you hit the stage road, then you take the west fork." "Good luck, Colonel, sir." "Uh, don't forget, Colonel, my thumb's getting kind of tired, so let's don't go where there's no rocks." "My horse might stumble, and we'd have us an accident." "Let's go." "What are you doing here?" "Just thought you'd like to know that we went out to Phillips ranch to take over." "We found Barter dead, Mitten had a broken shoulder and Chester had been cold-cocked pretty bad." "He said a girl drove in that medicine-show wagon." "He was looking it over, and that's... about all he could remember." "So it... could have been two or three of them." "Wagon was gone and so was Phillips." "Anybody see which way the wagon went?" "No." "Couldn't find any tracks;" "too dark." "Spence, you take five men, go out and guard the north road." "Warden, you take a few more." "Leave some on the south road, close in." "The rest of you go on out to the west fork." "Stop everybody going out, men." "Shoot anybody that tries to get by." "Now move." "What are we stopping here, for?" "Tuscarora's girlfriend." "Maybe I can find out how things stand." "Can you handle Ketcham?" "If you hear a loud noise, it'll be Mr. Ketcham dying." "?" "Quién es?" "McNally." "Oh... you have him." "We got him." "I'm glad." "Puerco!" "In case you don't know, that's Spanish for "pig," Ketcham." "Much has happened tonight." "The men came from the Phillips ranch." "I told what you had done, and the sheriff was very angry." "Would you like to see what he does when he's angry?" "Come in." "Amelita." "Show him." "Show him!" "Amelita?" "Take a look." "Go on, take a good look." "The sheriff did it." "Why?" "To make me talk... and to punish me." "He did it, and-and then he laughed." "He laughed!" "Someday I'm going to kill him." "You'll have to beat me to it." "I'm going to kill him someday." "Be careful." "The sheriff has many men outside hunting for you and others waiting for you in the jail." "We've got the edge on them." "We got their boss." "I will pray for you." "Good night." "Well, they... don't know we've got Ketcham yet." "But they know we've been out to your place and got you, so they'll... probably be waiting for us." "Still want to try it?" "With or without you, Colonel." "Well, that's good enough for me." "Move." "We're getting near the jail, Mr. Ketcham." "My rheumatism's kind of bad, so don't do nothing to put a strain on my fingers." "You in the jail!" "You in the jail!" "Tell Hendricks to step out." "Blue Tom, we got your friend Ketcham here, and there's a sawed-off shotgun with the triggers tied back right behind him." "He wants to tell you something." "Sergeant Major, you louse this up and you won't live to know it." "Talk." "Hold your fire, Tom." "Do anything he says." "Don't try anything!" "You hear him?" "I heard." "Get all your men out of the jail." "You heard him, come on out." "Now everybody drop their guns." "What do you say, Mr. Ketcham?" "Do it, Tom!" "For God's sake, do it!" "All right, drop them." "Everybody ease over, and keep going till you're in front of that hotel." "Hendricks, you hold it." "There's still somebody in that jail, Ketcham." "Tom, don't try it." "Get whoever..." "ever's in there out!" "All right, Barney, come on out." "Drop your gun and get over with the rest of them." "You want to step down, Mr. Phillips?" "Hope this thing don't go off while I'm... climbing down." "Step off, Sergeant Major." "Let's go to jail." "Don't worry, Mr. Ketcham." "We'll get you out of there." "Now that's a good idea, Sheriff." "Why don't you try it?" "Please try it!" "No... no, don't try it, Tom." "Whatever you got in your head, you forget it." "He wants you to try something-- he's crazy!" "He's right!" "Got another barrel left." "Get in there." "We'll be here..." "a day, maybe two." "Then the United States Cavalry will be here." "I should've taken you this morning." "You should've tried." "Tuscarora." "Colonel." "Couldn't say hello this morning, but I'm sure glad to see you." "How do you feel?" "Fine, except for some sore ribs." "Give me a hand." "I'll stay back here with Ketcham in case his friends try something." "Now, don't you worry none, Ketcham." "You're going to be the first to die." "Where's Captain Cordona?" "He's gone for help." "How long are we going to be here?" "Until he comes back with the cavalry." "Douse that light." "Mr. Phillips, is that the only tune you know?" "I don't know this one." "I don't know this one." "That's why I keep practicing it." "Colonel, you have any trouble getting back into town?" "Well, they had men out, but we had Ketcham." "I suppose they had men watching the roads, too?" "Hendricks is not stupid." "What if they catch the captain before he gets to help?" "Well, then I'd say we're in more trouble than we've been in since we started this thing." "Mr. Phillips, is there any way of getting you to stop that?" "Yeah." "I'd stop for a drink." "Well, if there's one, I'll get it for you." "Where do you think you're going?" "In the jail!" "This is Doc Jones, the dentist!" "Can I come in?" "Let him in." "You're taking a chance coming here." "No, I don't think so." "They're not even watching the place." "Don't bet on it." "Well, anyway, I brought you some food and some beer." "Better see Ketcham gets a bite." "He don't get no beer, does he?" "Neither do you, unless you promise not to play that harp." "I'll stop!" "Who's there?" "Shasta." "What are you doing here?" "I couldn't stand waiting, not knowing." "I took one of Mr. Prior's horses." "Nobody saw me." "Hey, you in the jail!" "What do you want?" "I got a message for you, but I don't want to get shot delivering it to you." "What is it?" "Here it is." "See what it is." "Well, they got Frenchy." "is he all right?" "Evidently." "They want to trade him for Ketcham." "If they got him, there ain't going to be no soldiers." "Where do they want to make the trade?" "They say there's a cantina and a barn down by a creek at the other end of town." "I know where that is." "Well, they say they'll be at the barn with Frenchy an hour after sunup." "We're to start Ketcham from the cantina." "is that all it says?" "That's all." "It don't say what they'll do after we make the trade?" "Well, there's four times as many of them as there are us." "What do you think they'll do?" "What's it going to be, Colonel?" "Doesn't look to me like we got much of a choice." "You that delivered the message!" "You out there?" "I'm here." "Well, tell Hendricks we'll be there after sunup." "And tell him if we see anybody on the way over there, he's going to lose his boss." "I'll tell him." "Anybody got the time?" "Two hours to sunup." "is there anything at all I can do?" "Hadn't he ought to take all them water rights and deeds and that stuff Ketcham signed?" "He could get them back to the owners." "Yeah, Doc." "They won't know Ketcham signed these till after the trade." "Thanks." "Thanks a lot, all of you." "I wish you luck." "Luck, he says." "Need more than luck." "Need a miracle." "How about it, Sergeant?" "Think you can pass one?" "Colonel?" "Don't seem like you want to be the one to say it, so supposing I say it?" "It's time." "All right, bring him out." "Shasta?" "You'd better wait four or five minutes after we're gone, then beat it over to your friend's." "All right." "And if we lose, get out of town quick." "Colonel, I just wanted to tell you... I'll be safe." "Sergeant Major, you better wipe that smile off your face, or I'll do it for you." "Hold it a minute." "You folks better stay at this end of town, and you won't get hurt." "Look out!" "It's all right, Colonel McNally." "They're friends." "What are you doing here?" "They came to help." "They won't be much help unless they're real good." "You got your land back." "Doc gave you the deeds, didn't he?" "Sure, we got our deeds back, but what are they worth if you lose?" "You men better know what you're getting into." "Ketcham, we promised you in a trade, but we didn't say anything about what condition you'd be in." "Now, can any of you shoot?" "As far as shooting goes, Bide's a good shot." "You remember him-- his bandage on the captain's leg got you that headache, remember, Colonel?" "I remember." "We all fought in the war, Colonel." "All right, you're in." "Somebody watch that back door." "You got more help than you think, Colonel." "There's men over there behind that wall." "Could take those fellas by surprise and outflank them." "Bide, how deep is that creek?" "Aw, it changes-- three, four, six feet." "Deep near the bridge?" "Ought to be." "Colonel, I got an idea." "Can you hold up this trade, give me a little time?" "Well, not for long, they know..." "Bide, give me your gun." "You get yourself another." "Well, what do you plan to do?" "Ain't got time to explain, Colonel." "Well, I can't hold up any longer." "Hendricks!" "Hendricks!" "What do you want?" "Are you ready?" "I'm ready." "You start Ketcham, we'll send Cordona." "I'd like to take a look at Cordona." "Okay, bring him out." "Satisfied?" "Whenever you're ready." "Hey, Colonel, he got where he wants to be." "All right, Ketcham." "Now you're going to walk across there, slow and easy." "Unloosen your belt." "What for?" "Keep your hands busy." "Walk!" "That's far enough." "Hendricks!" "Here's your man." "Move!" "All right, take it nice and easy." "Ketcham, hold it right where you are!" "There's about six guns on you." "Don't move!" "Well, Sheriff, what'll it be?" "I want Ketcham!" "I want him, too!" "He's no use to you." "He signed all those deeds back to their rightful owners." "You're broke, both of you." "is that right, Ketcham?" "No, no, wait a minute!" "Wait a minute, Tom!" "He's lying to you." "No, please, don't shoot." "You yellow..." "Ow!" "Get back in here, you dang fool!" "Ow!" "Take it easy!" "Stop your squawking'." "You ain't hurt." "Splatter gun's useless." "Don't mind if I shoot, do ya?" "Makes me feel better." "There's a lot more than three of them out there, Sheriff." "They're going to be tough to run out." "Pete, you got the dynamite?" "Not here." "I got it where l can get it." "Can you use it on the cantina?" "Throw it right through the window." "Take Red to back you up." "Come on, Red." "You see those fellas?" "They're trying to get around us." "Watch them." "Colonel, the captain... I saw him!" "Get a match." "Holy...!" "Look out!" "We'd have had that dynamite in our laps." "Sure lucky l brought you along." "Ought to set them back." "They got behind us!" "Let's get out of here!" "Where the hell you think you're going?" "We're licked, Sheriff!" "Come back here, you lousy...!" "Come on back here!" "Where you goin'?" "After Hendricks!" "They're running, Colonel." "Well, Hendricks can't run far." "Look out!" "Glad you brung me, huh?" "Spread out!" "This thing isn't over yet." "Turn around, Sheriff." "I want you to see who's going to kill you." "You got your town back." "I..." "I told you I'd kill him." "I told you, didn't I?" "You told me." "I had a right to." "I'm going to always wear this mark, and every time I look at it, I want to know I had the right to kill him." "If you hadn't done it, somebody else would have." "Now, you want to give me a lift?" "Mr. McNally, you... you make a person feel awfully..."