"Chita, you can make him kill me" "So he'll never be able to walk his country like a free man." "You think he'll thank you for that?" "Clear evidence of a misspent youth." "You care for a game, sir?" "No leisure." "Well, what makes your time so valuable?" "I'm trying to get rid of five million dollars." "Now, if I can be of any assistance to you..." "I seriously doubt that I could do it without you." "My dear, will you come in, please?" "Mr. Paladin," "May I present mrs." "Duvoisin?" "Mrs. Duvoisin." "How do you do?" "I'm major mcnab." "Major." "Before colonel duvoisin's death," "He wanted to make up for a certain amount of neglect to his..." "Oh, let us call him his stepson." "why beat around the bush?" "Ben was his son, the only natural child he's ever known." "And mr." "Duvoisin..." "Colonel duvoisin." "Never acknowledged his son." "Colonel duvoisin was a gentleman." "Well, that explains everything." "He left him his estate, close to $5 million." "But more important than that, he left him a home, a name," "A position in virginia society." "None of this is any compensation for the way the boy's been wronged," "But I thought perhaps that if I could persuade him" "To accept me," "To be the son that I never had," "I might make it up to him." "Where's the boy now?" "We believe he's just across the border in mexico." "Below el camino." "I believe that'll explain why." "How did this happen?" "He killed that man defending his mother's good name." "I don't know as you or I would've done any differently." "He has to stand trial before he can come into the inheritance." "Of course." "Of course." "Suppose he's not interested?" "He's not wanted for murder." "Not yet, at any rate." "The state's attorney in waco is not a vindictive man." "We might get the boy off with," "Say, two or three years." "And if he still prefers to be free?" "Well, in that case..." "There is a paper in there for him to sign." "We want you to carry a copy of the will and the paper to the boy" "And explain the situation if necessary." "If the boy refuses his inheritance," "He is to sign the paper." "And the money will then go to the colonel's widow." "We'll meet you in el camino." "You'll get $5,000 when you deliver ben." "Or his signature." "Mrs. Duvoisin," "Which would you prefer?" "Mr. Paladin, I've had money all my life." "I've never had a son." "Maybe you come to the wrong place, eh?" "Not if you know the virginia kid." "No hablo ingles." "Oh?" "Perhaps you'd pour me a drink" "Until somebody shows up who does..." "Hablo ingles." "Sálgase." "Who are you?" "That concern you?" "Senor, you are in the wrong place, not me." "Pour a drink for my friends here, too." "He doesn't understand english, but he reads lips." "And why do you wanna see the kid?" ""pa-la-din." "Wire san francisco."" "It is not hard." "I read in two languages." "I have a document for the kid from his father." "The kid has no father." "His father denied him, but before he died," "He left a will leaving the kid considerable money." "But to collect the money, he has to cross the border." "Maybe the law is waiting right here with a rope." "Not a rope." "A trial." "Why?" "If he's rich, he's no more outlaw." "His father wanted to buy a son," "Not give his money to a hunted man." "Will you take me to him?" "What for?" "He does not want money." "Well, I do." "And I won't be paid" "Until I deliver this document to the kid." "Maybe you have been hired to put a rope around the kid's neck." "The kid will decide." "But if he makes a mistake," "I swear to you this one will not." "who's this walking around in my drinking water?" "That's the kid." "Está tan grande, precioso." "Who's that?" "Ah, he has a paper." "Mr. Duvoisin." "Around here a man learns to be careful." "So it was true, after all." "I wouldn't believe her when she tried to tell me." "I just go shagging back with you and I collect all that?" "If you'd have said yes, I'd have shot you for a liar." "I have to stand trial first, don't I?" "That's right." "Where?" ""wanted" posters say waco." "Waco?" "Reckon I'd get a decent enough trial in waco." "Might even get out of jail still young enough" "To enjoy some of the old rascal's loot." "How do I know this is straight?" "That second paper's a waiver for you to sign" "In case you don't want the inheritance." "I didn't say I don't want it, did I?" "Shall we get started?" "Don't crowd me." "I ain't said I was going yet either." "Going?" "Sit awhile in a jailhouse, then walk out a free man." "With $5 million u.S. Dollars in my pocket." "The old scoundrel had me on his conscience after all." "A fair bargain, ain't it?" "For growing up without a name." "And with a mother who never got over it except by dying." "Value of a name's in what you make it." "Mister, I'm a mite too old for Sunday school." "Are you?" "He's going to take you to jail." "They'll chain you up like a dog." "Honey, I ain't wanted for no hanging crimes." "Are you willing to go to prison for years?" "I'm still trying to think about it if you'd keep your mouth shut." "Know other ways I can live like a decent human being again?" "And you did not feel decent with me?" "Honey." "We'll live in style." "In a big house with two dozen servants" "Jumping with silk rags every time you sneeze." "Mr. Ben duvoisin." "We'll break our necks on the trail now." "Might as well wait for daybreak." "You made up your mind." "For sure." "This here jungle's choking the life out of me." "Cut down one vine and ten more come shooting' up." "Hmm." "I'll get my bedroll." "But I understand you." "You're tired of me." "And to escape that," "You'll put your life into the hands" "Of the man with the evil face." "Don't pretend to be asleep!" "You are not asleep." "You'll be right as rain, honey," "If you just stay here until I get back" "And let your brother look after you." "Oh." "You are no more coming back." "They will hang you and I will spit on your grave." "Now, what are you really worried about?" "That I won't come back to you?" "I love you." "But can't you see?" "This here ain't no life for a born virginia gentleman." "Always on the jump for snakes and scorpions," "Gila monsters and federales." "Living on wild rabbit and corn." "When right yonder across the border," "We could both be eatin' high on the hog." "Well, it was good enough for you until now." "Until I read this here thing, I didn't know I was a gentleman." "I wish I had the courage to kill you." "Maybe then you would belong to me forever." "We're riding out at daybreak." "Come here." "No!" "No!" "Turn it loose." "Turn it loose!" "No!" "Kid!" "Is this how you figure on holding on to your man?" "No woman's gonna tie me to her that way." "You've always been too quick with that knife to suit me." "I warned you before about that." "I warned you, didn't I?" "ah!" "Mister, you might just wish" "I had beat the daylight out of her." "I'll have to take my chances on that." "This ain't one of your yankee milksop women." "This is one who'll fight and kill to hold her man." "And I'm still her man." "Just don't you forget that." "Come dawn about a half hour." "Let's get started before she gets it in her fool head" "To come tagging along." "marshal, listen to me!" "I wanna go home." "I'm right over here, marshal." "Right here." "All right." "It's pretty cold in here." "Don't let me find you drunk in the street no more." "Where's my jug?" "Sit down over here." "I'll get mcnab." "I'm looking for major mcnab." "Room 15." "Thank you." "Mr. Paladin." "Major." "Mrs. Duvoisin." "Well, sir?" "He's waiting downstairs." "You left him unguarded?" "He came of his own free will." "Yes, of course." "My dear, I think it's best if you stay here." "Wouldn't you at least like to see him?" "You think she could bear the thought of the boy going to jail" "Once she had seen him?" "It's best this way." "Shall we go, mr." "Paladin?" "Kid?" "I'm major mcnab, boy." "I'll be the defense lawyer at your trial." "That is, if you want me." "I reckon with $5 million, I could probably just about afford you." "I'm afraid you overestimate me." "May I have your gun, please?" "What for?" "You're in his custody now." "I suppose that means he's responsible for you." "There is no stage to waco until the morning." "We're gonna keep you in jail till then." "What's wrong with the hotel?" "Now, listen to me, boy." "I am not unacquainted with your past." "Some wild blood went into the making of you." "One night alone in this town after all those months in the wilderness," "You'd most likely be dead drunk." "Probably get into a fight, most likely kill someone." "You're about to face a jury, boy." "I would like you to make the best impression you can." "May I have your gun, please?" "Who's that?" "That's the marshal." "I asked him to be here, just in case." "Mister, there'd better be $5 million at the end of this trail." "That ought to hold it." "Aren't you being just a little premature?" "All right, beat it, bub." "Not yet, sheriff." "Paladin, how much did you sell me for?" "I wanna find out if there is any law in this town." "We discussed this before, my dear, a hundred times." "This is no time for you" "To have foolish pangs about the boy." "Come in." "Mr. Paladin." "$5,000." "For a job well done." "How soon do you expect him to be hung?" "A day or two." "There is obviously no morning stage to waco." "And you and mrs." "Duvoisin" "Are registered here as man and wife." "All quite legal, I assure you, mr." "Paladin." "We were married over a month ago." "That boy was to be tried in waco, not here." "Now, that's what we lawyers call "change of venue."" "The local judge here is much more reliable." "The boy might've got off with two or three years in waco" "And then come into full control of his father's estate." "Can you imagine leaving all that money" "To that murderous outlaw?" "And at the expense of this woman" "Who loyally and selflessly spent all of her adult years" "With his father." "You two used me to lure that boy into a trap." "Oh, no." "Rather let us say" "We used you to correct the possibility" "Of a grave injustice." "That should be settled in a court, but not in this town." "You should leave now, mr." "Paladin," "Before the marshal is prevailed upon" "To arrest you as an accomplice." "Fellow down at quito one year" "Told me the knot was too tight." "Give him a headache." ""well," says I, I got the cure for that."" ""yes," I says," ""this'll sure cure that."" "Open it up." "Come on." "All right." "Muerto." "¡vámanos!" "Ben." "Where's chita martinez and her brother?" "Ben." "¡basta!" "You think I'm gonna go back to waco to that crooked trial?" "Get outta here." "Where's chita?" "I thought you made up your mind." "Made up my mind?" "I didn't know whether to kill you or mcnab first" "Till you busted me out of that jail." "Get out of here before I kill you anyway." "If that's mcnab and the marshal," "You just threw away your life along with the $5 million." "How much did you sell him for?" "The will is genuine." "And what about gringo justice?" "They come for you." "I can still get you to waco." "I've changed my mind back." "What I had before was good enough." "Now, mister, get out." "Ben." "Kill him now." "He busted me out when he learned what they aimed to do." "Too late." "Ben." "Muchacho, you kill him now or I do it for you." "You can cause him to kill me." "You can fix it so he'll never be able to go home." "He'll never be able to walk that land like a free man again." "And there won't be any house or any money or any servants." "And no woman!" "Chita." "You want the money." "One day ago, I prayed for the courage to kill you." "I have it now!" "Quit." "I'm going back." "They'll hang you." "Not without a trial." "No?" "They'll hang you for the sheriff back there" "With a knife in him." "They won't wait for a trial." "You're getting a little too rich for my blood." "I'm going back." "No!" "¶ "have gun, will travel" reads the card of a man ¶" "¶ a knight without armor in a savage land ¶" "¶ his fast gun-for-hire heeds the calling wind ¶" "¶ a soldier of fortune is the man called ¶" "¶ paladin ¶" "¶ paladin, paladin where do you roam ¶"