"Jeb?" "Jeb, where are you?" "Oh!" " Are you all right?" " I'm all right." "I brought you some things - some meal and beans and a good canteen." "Is that what kept you - getting those things?" "I came as soon as I could." "I brought you a map too." "Look." "If you work up north through the gloriettas, you can hit the skin road." " If I work north?" "What about you?" " Yes, Jeb." " Where will you be?" " I'm not going with you." "I knew it as soon as you came in..." "By the look on your face and the way you walked." "You've always been like that" "Able to think with my thoughts and feel with my feelings." "But there's something that keeps us apart." "Oh, Jeb, what happened to us?" "Why did everything go wrong?" "I don't know all of it, but I know some." "I've been thinking and figuring." "This is where it started, this is where it's going to end." "You see that rise?" "He'll be coming over that." "He'll come killing." "Come out, or we'll come in after ya!" "You hear it?" "Jeb, honey, there's no one out there." " You're imagining." " I'm not imagining." "Remembering." "Putting together what happened - what I guess must've happened." "Thor, it's all coming back, strong and clear." "There's an answer in it." "There's something about me that explains everything." " Jeb, I don't understand." " I'm gonna make you understand." "I've got to before they get here." "Do you know why I came to this place?" "No, Jeb, but..." "It's not a good hideout." "They're sure to trail you here." "I came for another reason." "I was here before, long ago." "I was a baby then." "I was scared the way only a kid can get." "I was in a dark, cold place." "I had my eyes closed to get away from some bad dream" "The same dream I'd been having all my life." "I've never understood it." "There were boots running, flashes." "Daddy?" "Daddy?" "But my father wasn't there." "Instead, a strange woman was lying on the floor." "She crawled toward me." "That was the first time I saw your mother." "Get up, son." "No, Jeb, you can't go to sleep now." " Get your clothes on, son." "We're going away from here." " Who is that?" "That's Jeb Rand." "Now, pay attention, Adam..." "And Thor." "This is Jeb." "He's going to live with us." "Come on, now." "Help your sister." "They've gone, every danged one of 'em." "They've moved away somewhere." "Grant, if you ride with that arm, you'll lose it." "I'll find 'em if it takes me to the end of my life." "The idea that I was hiding or running away never quite died out." "It should have, I guess, because the next seven years I wasn't hiding." "Your ma was taking care of all of us." "I was growing up with you and Adam," "Going to school, helping to build a house in the new place we moved to," "Having the whole outdoors for a playground." "I'd about stopped having nightmares until one day when I was about nine or ten" "Look, Jeb!" "A little black chick." "I found him under the house." " What's the matter with you?" " You know what's the matter!" "You shot the colt!" "Shot what colt?" "Are you crazy?" "Mom!" "Jeb, stop!" "Stop!" "Mom!" "Mom, they're fighting again!" "Mom!" "Now, stop that fighting, boys!" "Stop that fighting!" "Now, stop it!" "Stop that fighting, boys!" "Thor, pump some water." "Now, stop it!" "Come on, boys!" "Now, stop that fighting!" "Come on!" "Stop it!" "Adam!" "Jeb!" "Now, what's it all about?" " He shot the colt." " I didn't!" " You did so!" " You mean somebody shot our colt?" "Said it was his." "He said I couldn't ride it." "But I rode it anyway." "He took a shot at it." "Or maybe me." "I don't know." "But anyway, he killed the colt." "No." "Somebody may have killed him, but it wasn't Adam." "He's been here all morning greasing the buckboard." " You say somebody took a shot at you?" " Who could it have been, ma?" "Well, I don't rightly know." "Matter of fact, there were some deer hunters hanging around." "Yes, sir." "They asked me if they could hunt down our fence," "And I told 'em yes." "You go and get your supper off the stove, and no more fightin'." " You gonna see those men, ma?" " That's right." "Put that wheel back on." "So, you found us." "You covered up your trail pretty well." "As soon as the boy told me somebody tried to kill him," "I knew it was you." "Being a lawyer hasn't done your shootin' any good, Grant." "Yeah." "Maybe losing' this some years ago didn't help any either." "You owe me for a colt." "Doggone critter was too lively." "When he crawled off, he spoiled my aim." "You can't start it all over again, Grant." "I won't let you." "You're gettin' kind of uppity, ain't you?" "He's a Rand." "I knew it the first minute I laid eyes on him." "He brought to mind that you was married to my brother." "And a score still isn't settled for his death." "You lost a brother, I lost a husband." "I don't want any more vengeance for him." "I never figured that you would." "That's why I swore that I'd kill every Rand on earth." "And he's the only one left." "How in tarnations you get him?" "Let's say the lord gave him to me." "Let the boy alone, Grant." "He's innocent." "That night ended it for him." "A night like that don't have an end." "What happened to him there will make him do things just" "Just like spirits were whispering in his ear saying," ""kill, kill." "You've got to kill. "" "Spirits may talk to you, but they won't to him." "I don't believe in your spirits." "Maybe not, but someday you'll wish I hadn't missed my shot today..." " Down on the draw." " That's one day that'll never come." "He's a good boy." "I love him like my own son." "What makes you think that boy loves you?" "Well..." "I'll go back to Santa Fe." "I swear I think I'll leave that Rand alone, let him grow up," "Just to see what happens to you when he's big enough to start asking questions." "Don't forget your money for the colt." "Thanks for reminding me." "This'll help me bring him up." "Did you find 'em, ma?" "Did you talk to 'em?" "Why, sure I did." "It was them deer hunters all right." "They shot the colt." "Put the team up, Adam, and feed 'em." "You help him, Thor." "Come in the house with me, son." "I want to talk to you." "Jeb, how much do you remember..." "About coming to live with us" "About the night I brought you here?" " You must remember something." " Not much." "You can tell me, Jeb." "I get mixed up when I think about that." "I remember flashes..." "And boots runnin'." "You know your parents are dead." "That's why I took you in." "Yes, ma'am." " But you don't remember them?" " No, ma'am." "Sometimes I try to think about it." "I don't know." "My head hurts." "It gets all blurred." "Sometimes the lord protects us..." "By letting us know only what's needful." "What you don't remember doesn't matter." "You belong here with us now." "Don't ask questions of the past." "It has no answers for you." "Grow up strong in the love that's here for you." "As long as you love in return, nothing can happen." "And you do love us, don't you, Jeb?" "I'm sorry I started the fight." "Well, son," "After today you boys won't have anything to fight about." "Adam, Thor, come here." "Now, pay heed to me, you children." "I'll have no more arguments as to who owns what on this ranch," "Colts or anything else." "Everything we have or ever will have..." "Belongs to you three from this day on." " You mean, everything has to be that way?" " Yes, Adam." "Have you any objection to that?" "Not for Thor and me, but I have for outsiders." "There are no outsiders here." "You three are together." "You yourselves..." "Are the best and finest thing there is." "A family." "You promise not to forget that?" "I mean all three of you." "All right." "Thor, stop scratching." "Go in the house and get some coal oil, put it on those chiggers." "Adam, you find the sheep scissors." "I'm gonna cut yours and Jeb's hair tonight." "Jeb, we've always called you by your right name, Rand." "Would you like to use our name instead?" "If you don't mind, I'd like to use my own name." "Jeb Rand." "All right, Jeb." "You know how it was after that." "Ma's idea worked like she wanted it, pretty near." "Anyhow, we seemed more like a family." "We were close, the four of us." "That lasted for a long time." "It lasted until that day I rode into town." "Detail, halt!" "Right face!" "About face!" "Order arms!" " Hey, what's all the shouting' and drum beating' about?" " Ain't you heard?" "The territory's fightin' Spain, and it looks like we're gonna have a real shooting' war too." " Hi, Jeb." " Good morning, doctor." "Hello, Prentice." "That's quite some excitement you've got around here." "Sure is." "Gotta beat them spaniards." "Sure wish I could fight, but dad won't let me." "Meanin' I won't lie about his age so he can join." "I fought in one war." "He don't know what he's stayin' out of." "Here's your mail, Jeb." "Thanks, bam." "That dress and petticoat Thor sent for came in." "Hope it's what she wanted." "I've been keeping it for her." "She'll be obliged to you." "I'll tell her I saw you." "How's my credit, Bam?" "I need some tobacco." "Never heard anything wrong with the credit on the Callum ranch." "Thanks." " Mr. Rand?" " Yes." "I heard him mention the Callum ranch." "I'm, uh, State Provost, down here to supervise recruiting." "Every outfit around about here is sending in a quota." "One man apiece to fight the spaniards." "I was sort of interested to see if anyone was coming in from your ranch." "Oh, I guess this is what you mean, sir." "It came a little late." "Some of the outfits are sending in every danged rider they've got." "Except the aged and unfit." "We'll let you know tomorrow which one it's gonna be - me or my brother Adam." " Is that soon enough?" " I guess so," "Unless you'd like the pleasure of riding home tonight..." "And telling the folks you've just joined up." "Fill this out and sign it and hand it in when you report." "If I'm the one that reports." "If not, Adam will have to do it." "Give me two." "The provost seems bound and determined..." "To get you into this war." "It sort of appeared that way to me too." "Who is that fella anyway?" "What's his name?" "Heck, I figured you knew him." "Ain't he some kind of kin of yours?" "No kin of mine." "I have no kin." "His name's Callum, just the same." "There's a whole slew of 'em up north." "Halt!" "Order arms!" "The recruits are ready to be sworn in." "Is that right, boys?" "All right." "Raise your right hands." "Repeat after me." "I, a citizen of the United States, do solemnly swear" ""I, a citizen of the United States, do solemnly swear..." "That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of america." " Is that package for me?" " Yes." " The dry goods you ordered." " Oh, good." " Maybe it's my dress." " Hey, Adam?" "Hello?" "When you finish up there, come on in the house." "I got some business to talk over with you." "All right." "What is it?" ""..." "As a soldier in the volunteer army..." ""of the United States of america for a period of two years, unless sooner discharged" "The first company's leaving in the morning." "I told him we'd let him know by then." "It's not fair." "Why can't they get soldiers from the big ranches, where there have plenty of riders?" "Can't be helped, sis." "Them spaniards has to be beat." "I won't let either of you go." "I'll ride into town and explain we need both of you here." "You can only keep one of us at home, sis." " But you can help pick which one it's gonna be." " That's a job I don't want." "Should we tell ma, or decide without her?" "Decide for ourselves, I say." "Tell her after." "Well, Ad, what do you say?" "How are we gonna settle it?" "I'm agreeable to anything you suggest." "All right, I'll draw numbers with you, run you a race or cut cards." "That would be your way of deciding it." " This isn't a game." "It's serious." " I'm serious." " How about a toss?" "That's the quickest." " That's fine with me." " Then let me toss it." " Flip it high." "If it's tails, Ad goes." "Heads, it's Jeb." "It's heads." "Jeb, you're the one." "It was a fair toss." "So be it." "Well, there's no use stalling around any longer." " Adam, will you cut out a horse for me?" " Sure." "I'll get going tonight." "I better go to ma now and tell her." "Don't let anything happen to you, Jeb." "I couldn't stand that." "If anything happened to you" "Nothing's gonna happen, ma." "I'll come back." "Why, sure, I know you will." "One of you had to go." "Perhaps it's best this way." "Good-bye, Jeb." "Good-bye, ma." " Good-bye, Jeb." " So long." "Come home, Jeb." "Until I do, maybe you'd like this for a keepsake." "I guess it sort of slipped out of your hand." "Right through the window too." "It didn't slip." "I threw it." "I don't blame you." "You wanted to keep Adam here, so you lied about the toss." "I wanted to lie, but I didn't." "If I had, it would've been to keep you here," "Not Adam." "You felt that way too?" "The same way I felt." "I was supposed to be your sister." "That's how it's been ever since we were kids." "Only I stopped being your sister," "And you've never been my brother." "But I had to go on every day pretending," "Watching you all day, letting you touch me," "And at night going in my room," "Lying there, thinking about you." "I wish I had lied." "I wish I had cheated about the toss and kept you here." " Wait for me." " You know I will." "I'll leave him at the ace high livery stable." "Pick him up in the morning." " So long." "Give them spaniards heck for me." " I'll do that." "Come on!" "Feel any better?" " I feel all right." " Well, I don't know whether you were lucky or not." "You were sure dreaming something." "I've heard a lot of fever chatter in my time." "Don't bother with it much when it's concerned with war, but yours was different." "Seemed to come from way back somewhere when you were a kid." " What'd I say?" " Something about boots and flashes of light." "Somebody hurt or killed." " Does that mean anything to you?" " I don't know." "But you gotta tell me what I said, doc." "Every word." "I wanna know." "Don't upset yourself." "Your fever's gone," "And the nightmare is with it wherever they came from." "That leg is gonna get you home." "Home?" "The stage is in!" "No, no." "The provost wants to pay for it." "Oh, thank you, sir, for the treat." "It's a pleasure to treat a man who takes so little interest in today's occasion." "See, personally, I too have small interests in a doggone hero." "We think a great deal of Jeb out at the ranch." "Too bad they don't have a brass band for a good cattle tally." "Understand you've been doing a fine job out there." "I don't believe I know your name, sir." "It's the same as yours" " Callum." "I'm the prosecutor at Santa Fe." " We're kin, you know." " Then I'm glad to make your acquaintance." "Listen to that." "The ladies deprecate killing, but my, how they admire a war hero." "Jeb, you know, comes by his instincts naturally." " He inherited them." " Is that so?" "I don't believe I ever talked to anyone who knew Jeb Rand's kinfolk." "Sometime, take a little ride for yourself up into glorietta township..." "And see what the records have to say about a family named Rand." "Good luck." ""For this meritorious and exceptional action," ""I now award you the medal of honor..." "Of the United States of america. "" "Good to see you, ma." "My, you're looking fine." " Hello, Thor." " Hello, Jeb." " Welcome home, Jeb." " Thank you, Adam." "Glad to be home." "Come on." "Ride up here with me." "Let's get on out to the ranch." "Once you're sleepin' in your own bed and eatin' at your own table, Jeb," "Maybe you'll forget all about the killin' and shootin' the general talked so much about." "Don't have to forget it, ma." "Never think about it." "Giddap!" "I was savin' this for thanksgiving." "I guess we're havin' a kind of thanksgiving anyway." " Thank you." " Welcome to my son, Jeb." "Thank you, ma." "To you, Jeb, and you must drink to me." "It would be fittin' to have some music." "Remember, boys? "the Londonderry air. "" "Why, you used to sing it." "Once more, I'll awaken the sweetness of thy slumbering strain in tears our last farewell was taken and now in tears we meet again" "yet, even then while peace was singing her halcyon song o'er land and sea though joy and hope to others bring ye she only brought new tears to thee" "Yes, Jeb, you'll find changes, and good ones too." "We got four new sections of the richest fillery you ever saw." "I guess any kind of cattle talk's boresome after you've been away from it for a while." "Like a fellow said to me today:" ""They don't play brass bands for cattlemen. "" "Speaking of cattle, Jeb, you're entitled to read this tally." "You'll find all the operations in here written down, clear and legal." "I don't have to read, Ad." "I can trust your tally." "Well, it's there for you to see." "I've got your share all marked off." "I call it the Rand share." "Sit down, Ad." "Won't you have some more coffee?" "No, thanks." "Well, it's been a big day." "One day's the same as another to me." "I gotta be in the saddle at sunup." " Good night, ma." " Good night, son." " Good night." " Good night, Adam." "I'll finish up." "You go along." "No, you" "Well, all right." "I'm all tuckered out." " Good night, Jeb." " Good night, ma." "All these trips to town tire me out." "Jeb?" "You know somethin'?" " What?" " There's a moon out." "Wait till I get my shawl." "Jeb?" "Jeb, sweetheart, is something wrong?" "Thor, we ought to go away." " We will." " I mean right now, tonight." "Let's hitch up a horse and not tell anyone." "We'll wake up a preacher over in town and make him marry us." "You know I'll marry you." "What are we waiting for?" "I want you to come court me." "I know that seems silly when we grew up together, but..." "I want to pretend we didn't." "That's why you've got to come sparking' me." "Do you mind?" "You can get dressed up real fashionable." "So will I. I'll have two chairs out in the gallery." "I'll bring out some lemonade." "We'll sit there and talk." "You can ask me if I'll let you smoke, and I'll say yes." "I'll have a piece of sewing." "What'll we talk about?" "Oh, sort of parlor talk." "The words will be like stitches that sew and pull on our lives together." "After a while, you can hold my hand." "You're not supposed to kiss me till you bought a ring." "Oh, Jeb, can you understand?" "Can you see it in my way?" "Thor, I've never belonged here." "I don't know why." "I always have a feeling something's after me." "It's a bad feeling I can't explain." "Lots of times I'm happy, but it's still there." "Thor, I've gotta be with you." "We've got to have a chance." "Let's get away before something happens." "Please, sweetheart." "We're gonna get married, Jeb." "We're not gonna spend the rest of our lives doing crazy things..." "Because you think something's gonna happen." "We're not gonna run away at night like a couple of stagecoach robbers." "I love you, Jeb." "But if we're gonna get married, can't it be the way I say?" "Please, sweetheart?" "I only hope it turns out that way." "After that, I had to be alone and think things out." "We hadn't really quarreled, and yet somehow we had." "It seemed as if we couldn't understand each other anymore." "One day, I rode up into butte country." "Came straight to this place, just as if I'd known the way." "There was something in my life as ruined as that house." "That house was myself." "I'd seen it a million times before" "The fireplace," "The trap door." "Out back, there was some cattle bones." "And then as I walked around the side, I came on some unmarked graves." "All of the sudden, I couldn't breathe." "If that house was me, what part of me was buried in those graves?" "Some folks has me beat." "When there's work to be done," "That's the time they decide to go ridin' all over the countryside." "Honey, I was worried about you." "We didn't know where you were." "I'm sorry." "I just took a little ride." "How long since you've had something to eat?" " I don't know, but I'm not hungry." " I'll fix you some coffee." "That'll be fine." "Right now I wanna see ma." "You got no more sense than a duck." "Well, I had sense enough to come home." "Why, Thor was fit to be tied worrying over you." "I was sort of worried myself." "I got halfway lost." "I strayed away up in that rimrock country," "Up bear paw butte way." "Bear paw butte?" "Now, what crazy thing made you do that?" "You and Thor have a nip up?" "Thor had nothing to do with my going." "I wanna ask you something, ma." "I've been wondering about that old ranch up there." "A goat couldn't live in that range." "A burro would starve." "People lived there once though." "You know the ranch I mean?" "I just remembered." "Seems to me there was..." "Someplace up there long ago." "Seems to me I've been there before." "Ma Callum, does that ranch have to do with me?" "Don't ask me questions, Jeb." "Did I come from there as a boy?" "Is that where you took me from all those years ago?" "Is that why I remember it?" "I told you not to look backward." "Look ahead." "I obeyed you." "I've lived like you said." "All my life, I've known I didn't really belong here." "I couldn't love." "I couldn't return your kindness." "Is there something the matter with me?" "I wanna understand, ma." "You've gotta tell me." "There's nothing the matter with you, Jeb." "That ranch might mean more to me than it does to you." "Anyway, I get upset talking about it." "A person's gotta find his own answers." "We're alone, each of us, and each in a different way." "I won't be alone." "I'm gonna marry Thor." "I want you to." "But when you do, you've got the future to live for." "I've got the past to live with too." " My children will have to live with it." " Stop vexing me, Jeb Rand." "I'm giving you my daughter for your wife." "Isn't that enough for you?" "Doesn't that show you that you're loved?" "Go away from me with your doubts and your" "Your bear paw butte and your crazy long rides." "Leave off vexing me." "You told me once not to question you," "But the questions keep coming back." "If you won't answer me, I'll have to look somewhere else for the answer." "Goin' out, Jeb?" "Thought I'd go and see if Mr. Dingle's faro game is still as crooked as ever." " Good idea." " What'd you say?" "I said it was a good idea." "How'd you like to take two or three thousand dollars along, stake you in the game?" "Maybe one of us is crazy, but I don't seem to follow you." "The tally book would've made it kind of simple if you'd taken the trouble to read it." "That's why I gave it to you when you came home." "Only now, I got this year's crop added." "Two or three thousand would be no more than your share of the profits." "A third to each of us," "The way ma wants it." "That's mighty generous." "More than I deserve, least ways expected." "Thanks." "Here's something else you don't know." "All the time you were in the army, we've been banking money for you." "Fifteen hundred dollars." "There's just one thing wrong with it, Jeb." "That money came out of the ranch, and you didn't earn it." "I've been workin' my share and yours too." "I don't aim to keep on doin' that." " I never asked you to." " No, but you never tried to help me either." "Your foot's been well for a month, and you've been drawin' that money..." "For lying' in the shade." "I was lucky if I didn't have six of my riders stretched out alongside you playin' pitch." "Oh, sure, I know you were a hero once," "But I've had my belly full of that too." "We don't pay off in medals around here." "It was too bad I came home at all." "If I hadn't, you would've had the ranch and the tally money..." "And my share of everything all to yourself." "This "share and share alike" doesn't sit any better with me than it does with you." "I'm thinkin' the same way you are." "This ranch isn't big enough to hold the two of us." "There's a way we can settle that." "Jeb, you promised me there'd be no trouble." "I wanna hear what he has to say." " How can we settle it?" " I'll buy you out." " Suppose I don't wanna sell?" " Then you buy me out." " Now, you know I can't do that." " Adam, please." "Jeb, don't say anything more." "Won't you do that much for me?" "Thor, you keep out of this." "Well, what's your notion, if you don't like mine?" "When I went to war, we settled with a toss." "I kept this." "Maybe if it suits you, we can spin it again." "There might be some luck in it for me this time." "I'll toss you." "My share against yours." "One of us stays, and one goes." "Oh, you can't!" "You either!" "It's wrong and crazy." "Ever since we were little, we've all been here together." "The three of us." "This is no way to change it if it's going to be changed." "One toss." " You wanna spin it?" " Adam, I beg you!" "And you, Jeb, don't do it!" " Winner take all." " One toss." " Call it." " Heads." "I might've known that cartwheel was bad luck." "Well, I'll be ridin' in town." "I'll hire a rig tomorrow and come back for my things." "No, you won't." "You ain't got no things," "Exceptin' what you're wearin'..." "And this!" "Tomorrow I'm coming back," "And you're coming with me." "If he tries to stop me, I'll kill him." " Ma'll never let you do this." " Maybe she'll have to." "Then I'll go with him in the morning." " When he comes, I'll be ready." " You'd never." "Not if it meant leaving' the ranch." "The ranch isn't everything to me." "It isn't a husband." ""The ranch be a husband." "" you're talkin' crazy." "It's been a wife to you, Adam," "Because you don't have a wife." "You just have the ranch." "Well, I don't belong to it." "You can take me off that dogeared tally book you carry around." "You hate me then?" "I love you." "I always thought the three of us would never be apart." "Three." "Three!" "You're always sayin' that!" "But why does he count?" "It's you and me." "Now you're the one that's talkin' crazy." "I want a home of my own." "Grant Callum knew him." "Knew his people too." "Told me to look up the records in Glorietta County." " And did you?" " Sure I did, and I found something." "A family named Rand did live there once." "I found out enough for me" "A reason why I'll never let you marry him." "I don't care what your reason is." "You're talkin' like a back-fence gossip." "Do you think that kind of talk means anything to me?" "Nothing in the world can change the way I feel." "I always knew you cared for him." "I guess..." "I never knew how much." "Looks as if we're gonna have to set things right." "You'll - you'll go after him, then?" "You'll ride in town and bring him back?" "I'll do it." "I'll ride in town tonight." "Mr. Dingle, can you take this man's I.O.U.?" "Yes, I'll take it." " Now throw him out." " Yes." "Keep your hands off me, will ya?" "What's the matter, Jake?" "Don't you take money in here anymore?" "Any money you put on this bar is counterfeit." "I'm saving you for the wheel." " Did you run into a fellow who nearly convinced you?" " Well, he tried." "You know, I flipped this dollar twice with Adam." "I lost both times." "Last time, I went to war." "This time, I left the ranch." "You left the ranch?" "You mean that?" "Maybe you've played into a cold deck." " Well, I guess it's all for the best." " Oh, sure." "A man's luck's bound to change sometime." "You appear lucky to me." " Don't you want some action for this dollar?" " It's kind of a keepsake." "Oh." "Well, many a man's been down to his last dollar..." "Before the change does come." "I guess you just want this dollar." "All right, go ahead and take it." "Hey, Jeb, you won." "Let it ride." "Oh, no." "Too many angles at this game." "I'd rather play poker." "You've had a run of good luck, Jeb." "Why don't you pull out?" " Oh, once more." " Oh, brother." " Luck's sure riding on your shoulder." " Probably clean this place out." "Oh, I've got a feeling you're through." "Well, I've got about $1,500 here that says you've got a wrong feeling." "Joe, get me a new deck." "Well..." "There it is." " I'll tell you what I'd do with that money if I were you." " Don't tell me." "Let me guess." "I'd buy into this business." "I'll sell you a piece of it." " You don't mean that?" " Yes, I do." " You know why?" " Why?" "Well, because people trust you..." "And, well, I'm just honest Jake Dingle." "You know, I might take you up on that." "I'll be looking for a business by and by." "Well, you think it over and let me know." "We'd make a great combination, you and myself." "And if you do come in, I'll teach you how to handle cards." "It don't hurt anything." " Good night." " Good night, partner." "And take good care of that money." "Ss I walked out on the streets of Laredo" "I walked out on Laredo one day" "I spied a cow puncher wrapped up in white linen wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly play the dead March as you carry me along take me out to the prairie and lay the sod over me" "for I'm a poor cowboy and I know I've done wrong" "and lay the sod over me" "Adam." "Now, let us continue." "I disagree with the learned corner." "I still maintain... we're a legal body, properly impaneled." "Sit down, Grant." "This is my hearin'." "I don't need no county prosecutor to tell me how to run it." "Furthermore, since it so happens..." "Said prosecutor's name is Callum," "I wouldn't want to say he's prejudiced 'cause I'm clean-minded, I am." "It's my duty to see the law administered..." "Regardless of family or anything else." "Gentlemen, I swear from the bottom of my heart..." "I never felt more like quitting my job than right now." "Because I well know what this case may cost a family" "A sorrowing mother and sister" "Who have already lost one son, one brother..." "And, if my guess is right, may lose another to the law." "Miss Callum," "On the night in question," "Did you witness a quarrel between your brother and Jeb Rand?" "Yes, I did." "And did you hear the accused utter any threat with regard to Adam?" "Yes." "You may repeat what you heard." "Jeb said he was comin' back next day to get me..." "To take me with him and marry me." "He said if Adam tried to stop him, he'd kill him." "Perhaps you fellers might like a spot of tea." "Now, here's the size of it." "Here's two men that had no use want for each other." "All that's been testified, but that ain't what we're here to decide." "It looks like Jeb shot him down like Grant said." "Hold your horses." "It's Grant's word against Jeb's, he way I see it." " Jeb never was no murderer." " I figure there's plenty of doubt on both sides." " The heck you say." " Nobody can get along with Ad Callum." "Let's get somethin' done." "I gotta get home and look after my stall." "Shut up!" "You fellows saw the general pin a medal on Jeb." "Ah, he weren't decorating' no ambusher..." "But a man that fought fair and square for his country." "It don't stand to reason that a man that shot down a dozen fellows in battle..." "Would shoot down his own brother without givin' him a chance." "If he had to drill him, he'd do it right." "Uh-uh-uh!" "And if he done it right, then it ain't no killin'," "But a lawful fight." "And hereabouts we ain't so danged uncivilized..." "A man can't win a lawful fight without gettin' his neck in a noose for it." "Pass the tea." "Thank you." "May I speak to you before you go, mrs." "Callum?" "I know you don't hold with the verdict of the jury, but it was fair." "I never murdered Adam." "You'll be shorthanded at the ranch." "If you'll permit me, I'd be happy to come back and help you out." "I make this offer most sincerely." "Get away from me, Jeb Rand." "I know how you must feel about me," "But I was hoping that in time I could change that." "It's too late to change anything." "Mother, let's go." "No." "I'll have my say." "You may have cleared yourself in there," "But not with me." "With me you're walkin' up the gallows steps." "I built that gallows." "I tied the noose." "All the love I had for you is dead." "Stay out of my sight." "If you cross my section line, I'll set the dogs on you." "Is that the way you feel?" "You'd made pretty clear how you felt," "So that fall I put in with Jake." "I found out how dull gambling could be when I stood on the other side of the table." "Once or twice we got some news about you - come on, baby!" "How you'd been sick," "How you were living out at the ranch and not seeing anyone." "I watched for you to come into town, but you never did." "It was fall again before I heard young Prentice, the storekeeper's son," "Was taking you and your mother to the dance." "Do-si your daughters and do-si your old men" "Do-si your brothers to the ball and do-si back home" "allemande left and the old left hand" "meet your partner and promenade it's on fire and I don't care and park your gal in an easy chair" " Would you like a glass of punch?" " I'd love it." " Excuse me a minute." " Thanks." "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the next will be La Varsouviana." " May I have the pleasure?" " Please go away." "Better dance, or people will look at you." "I'd rather have people look at me than dance with somebody I hate." "What a coward you are." "A coward wouldn't have come here to dance with you." "Hold it." "All right, folks, that's enough of our slow dance." "Here's a chance to swing your ladies," "So get your partners for a chicken reel." "Uh..." "You saw Thor dancin' with Jeb, didn't you?" " Why, yes." " Come on, son." "Let's you and I have a little talk." "Now, you forced her." "Jeb Rand, the man she hates most in the world," " Forced her to dance with him." " I was getting her some punch." " You're escorting her this evening, aren't you?" " Yes." " Did you bring her here so she could be insulted?" " No." "I wouldn't let that happen." "Well, it's happened." "What are you gonna do about it?" "Pardon us, gentlemen." "Mr. Callum, all this started long ago." " It isn't my fight." " Then you're not the man I took you for." "I'll do what's right." "If you let him get away with it, she'll never speak to you again." " Did she say that?" " If she didn't, she's thinking it." "And there's something else she's thinking of." "It's the death of her brother." "Mr. Callum, sir..." "I'm not much good with a gun." "Maybe you'll have some help." "Go up to the alley." "If he's an honest wheel, you'll find him in the back room." "Shoot him through the window." "No, sir, I" " I can't do that." "But I'll make him come out to me." "What's the matter, Jake?" "Couldn't you find any partner?" "You found one you shouldn't have" " Thor." " Young Prentice is comin' over after you for it." " Prentice?" "He's on his way over here now." "Get the drop on him, Jeb." "Go on out front." "First Adam, now Prentice." "Man, you gotta get going." "I don't wanna get the drop on him, Jake." "What are you gonna do?" "Step out in the alley and make myself scarce." "Mr. Rand." "What do you want?" "I've come because of what you did to Thorley." "Go on home, Prentice." "I don't want to hurt you." "Defend yourself, Mr. Rand." "I wouldn't try that if I were you, Grant." "Let's get him in the office." "I did it for Thorley." "I'm sorry, Prentice." "It was self-defense just as they said," "Yet he was one more part of the mystery of people hating me." "How I saw the boots of the pallbearers," "The flashes of light." "I had that feeling some lost and awful thing come over me again." "I wasn't sure whether killing Prentice was my fault," "Whether it was due to some badness locked up in me." "But I was sure of my love for you." "That was the only hope and the only answer." "If love could come out of all this, we might still have some chance." "We might live." "Right then I knew I had to have you." "I'd have to climb across two graves to get to you," "But nothing in the world could hold me back." "Who's that comin'?" "It's Jeb Rand." "He's comin' to call on me." "Jeb Rand?" "Callin' on you?" "I knew he'd come." "I've been expectin' him." "You've no right to expect him, much less to see him." "I'm askin' him in." "Sorry to have kept you waiting." "Won't you come in?" "Thank you." "It was kind of you to receive me." "Please sit down." "Thank you." "Would you like some coffee?" "I don't want to put you to any trouble." "Oh, it's no trouble." "We were just going to have some." "I'm sorry we have nothing else to offer." "In this house all we have is a little wine." "That's just for christmas and holidays." "Seems to me I remember something about that wine." "That's a music box ma had sent from Santa Fe." "I know." "It plays "the Londonderry air. "" "It's an old-fashioned tune." "Some people don't care for it." "May I smoke?" "Or would that annoy you?" "No, of course not." "This is a sampler I'm makin'." "I'm not very good at it." "Here we are courting, the way you asked me to long ago." "But it's all different." "You sitting there." "Me smoking, you sewing." "Just like any ordinary people." "It's worse than fighting or yelling in the street." " Don't you want your coffee?" " No, thanks." "Perhaps later." "Why don't you sit down in the comfortable chair?" "Company always uses that one." "I tried to figure out what crazy game you were playing with me," "And I couldn't." "But I knew I'd play it out with you right till the end." " Am I seeing things?" " Well, I declare!" " Good night, Jeb." " I'll see you tomorrow?" "Of course." "Thor." "Thor!" "Come here!" " What is it?" " Come closer." "Turn the lamp up." "That's right." "I want to look at you." "I haven't changed, mother." "What have I taught you that showed you how to bring dishonor on us?" "I've brought you no dishonor." "Jeb gave me this tonight." "I'm going to marry him, mother." "What's in this that I don't understand?" "Do you love him then?" "I have only one thought every minute of my life:" "How much I hate him." "But you wear his ring." "If I were a man, I would've killed him long ago." "After Adam's death." "Then he killed prentice and came courting' me." "All of a sudden, killin' wasn't enough." "I had to have more" "Much more, to use up all the hate I have in me." "Thor, I'll sell this place." "I'll go away." "I won't stay here and see this thing happen." "Perhaps that may be best." "You go away for a while." "We'll be together again soon." "No woman ever lived..." "Who could go through with what you're planning." "No woman but me.." "...'cause it's taken all my life to teach me what he is." "He put shame and grief on us," "And now he'd like to squeeze out the last drop of it by havin' me." "He wants me..." "And I'll marry him." "That moment when he thinks he has me, he'll lose everything..." "Because that's when I'm going to kill him." "For richer, for poorer." "For richer, for poorer." "In sickness and in health." "In sickness and in health." "Until death do us part." "Until death do us part." "What made you do that?" "I don't know." "Such fine young folks, and nobody at the wedding." "I have a surprise for you." "I've bought you a house." "All right, Charlie." "Well, now you've seen it." "That's why I sent for you." "Bein' as we're all Callums here, I don't have to tell you what we're gonna do about it." "Sure enough, you'll get yourself in trouble, and us too." "Yeah." "Times have changed since all this started, Grant." "You can't ride herd on the law no more." " You're telling me about the law?" " No, sir." " You thinkin' like him, that you're not goin'?" " That's right." "I think we're all goin'." "When I heard about the auction," "I figured it'd be better for me to buy it than see it pass on to strangers." "Allow me." "I know it's a custom to carry the bride in," "But perhaps we can let that go." "I always figured when I got married I'd have all the trimmings." "You may notice some changes." "There are some fixings I brought here from Kansas City." "Mighty pretty place you've got here." "Charlie, would you take Mrs. Rand's bags into the front bedroom, please?" "I sure will." "Come in." "You're very beautiful." "Thank you." "I hope you'll be comfortable here." "In this house it takes very little to make me comfortable." "I brought you some wine." "It's customary, I believe, to drink to a bride's health." "You're very gallant." "So you know." "You and I are much alike." "There are times when I can read your thoughts..." "By asking myself what I'd do if I were in your place." "I know that's an irritating quality in a husband," "But it may help to make things easier for you." "Don't come any closer." "You sure this is all right?" "Prentice missed because the light was bad." "Adam was too anxious." "I'm glad you don't suffer from those handicaps." "No, I don't." "Do you know why you missed me?" "Because I hate you so, my hand shook." "Your hand shook, but not because you hate me." "Put the gun down, Thor." "Oh, Jeb." "Hold me." "Hold me." "Jeb?" "What is it?" "What's the matter?" "I've gotta leave." "There are men outside." "They want to kill me." "It's all Grant Callum's doing." "I don't know why, but he's wanted me dead ever since I can remember." " Oh, take me with you." " I can't, but we can be together in a little while." "There's an old ruined ranch up by bear paw butte." "Meet me there." " How do I find it?" " Take the trail through Rimrock canyon, across the county line." "Oh, I'll be there." " Looks like he jumped clean off this bluff here." " Aw, he just outrun us." " Let's give it up." " I got a hunch I know where he is." "Russ, go fetch ma Callum and bring her to bear paw butte." "It's all going to happen again, but I don't care now." "I know there's one big answer I've always looked for:" "Why I was alone; why everything went wrong;" "Why I had hate in me instead of love." "There was a black dog riding my back and yours too." "I guess we've lost our chance, but there's nothing we can do about it now." "Oh, but there is." "We've got to get away from here, both of us." "Jeb Rand, we know you're in there." "Come on out!" "We'll give you two minutes!" "Are you hurt?" "I remember now." "Those dreams I've been having ever since I was a kid." "The flashes were gunfire," "And the man shooting was my father." "My sister lay on the floor dead, and my brothers were dead too." "The boots and spurs, they were my father's." "Then he was hit." "I saw him fall." "I knew he'd been killed." "I was too scared to yell, so I just stayed there." "Then a man came in" " Grant Callum." "He was dragging a woman with him." "She was your mother." "He told her to look at her Rand now." "I remember those words - "your Rand. "" "He asked her if the love she had for him was worth what she'd done." "Then he threw her down and dragged my father out." "Jeb, darling, how horrible." "It must mean that my mother" "One minute!" "Come out, or we'll come and drag you out!" " Come on." " I won't." "You're doing this for me because you're afraid I'll be hurt." "I don't want to live without you." "We've gotta fight." "We're comin' out." "Don't shoot." "Throw your gun out!" "Put your hands up." "Oh!" "Oh, I told him to fight you, to die fighting' if he had to!" "Let me go!" "Oh, mother, you won't let them do this!" "So, Grant, you're gonna have it your way at last." "I told you I'd wait until he was grown." "Well, now he's growed and he gets his legacy." "Only it's made out of him." "He earned it just as his father earned the lead he got..." "When he stole my brother's wife." "Then it was Jeb's father!" "You loved him." "Yes, only she forgot she was married to a Callum." "Bring a horse here." "Get me a rope." "Jeb told me about the feud." "Now I understand the part I didn't know." "It all started because of your love, your guilt." "That's why you'd like to see Jeb hanged." "You don't know what you're sayin'." "This is none of my asking'." "You never gave Jeb a chance." "You never told him the truth so he could protect himself." " I was trying to protect you." " That's a lie." " You were ashamed." " I've paid for what I did." "I gave the boy a home." "I took him in." "That paid for all the killin's?" "For the way my father died, and Jeb's father?" "Well, it didn't!" "You loved his father." "Or are you ashamed now to remember how you loved?" "No." "I loved his father." "You failed him, mother, and you failed yourself." "You lost the man you loved." "He died here." "But my man won't, unless they kill me too!" "You can't!" "I'm sorry, Jeb, for all the wrong I did ya." " Forgive me." " You didn't have to ask me that." " You've given me back my life." " Oh, mother." "I told you once, Jeb, never to look back." "Look ahead." "I tell you that again now." "You couldn't then." "But now I can and will." "Take your wife home, Jeb."