"Tell me where I'd find Sheriff Dobbs this time of day." "He ain't around here;" "that's all I can tell you." "You trying to tell me something more?" "You ain't the only one coming to town asking after the sheriff." "Those be some of the other?" "Two of 'em." "Another rode into town a while ago." "I expect there'll be more before 9:00 tomorrow morning." "That's when the sheriff turns in his badge." "Will you see my horse is cared for?" "What time do you want him?" "Be shortly after 9:00 tomorrow." "You looking for someone?" "Probably the same man you are." "You must mean Dobbs, yeah?" "That could be." "Well, then." "No need to pussyfoot with us, friend." "I'm Les Horgan, my friend here's Turkey Tate." "Paladin." "What's all this shooting about?" "Oh, we're just passing the time." "Them two colts want to get to their mamas." "Now, the first man that cuts his rope wins a dollar." "If we both cut a rope, the first colt that gets to his mama is the winner." "And if you hit a colt?" "You lose." "What you got to settle with Dobbs?" "Nothing personal;" "I never met the man." "You might have to wait in line." "Jake Condos rolled into town this morning." "Dobbs killed his two brothers a year ago, when he was trying to rob the Express office." "He's faster than a snake, that Condos." "Well, I have heard that a man couldn't be faster than Dobbs." "Oh, once maybe." "Nobody's tried him in more than a year now." "He sure ain't gonna be fast enough with Condos and me and Turkey, and, uh, maybe you, all coming at him at the same time." "Well, now, I just don't believe" "I'm gonna let it happen that way." "What do you mean?" "I've been hired to deal with Dobbs." "Somebody else gets to him first," "I ride out of this town, my pockets just as empty as when I rode in." "Go on." "Hello?" "I was told I could find the sheriff here..." "Mr. Dobbs?" "I speak English." "Well, fine, then;" "you heard me the first time." "Wait here." "Mr. Dobbs?" "Yeah." "This supposed to mean something to me?" "Well, not if you have to ask." "Someplace we can talk privately?" "Ria, uh, finish up out here." "Come on." "Well, now, uh... what's on your mind, Mister, um..." "Paladin." "It was on the card." "Oh, yeah, yeah, I guess it was." "You tying that gun down for my benefit?" "Well, I have to believe that you're the stranger who stopped by the blacksmith's barn and talked to those other two fellas." "Sheriff... there are a number of men in this town who are here for the express purpose of killing you as soon as you take that badge off." "Why do you take it off?" "I got to someday, but, um, look, it's no business of yours now, is it?" "Yes, it is." "Yes, indeed it is." ""Sheriff John Dobbs to Resign."" ""John Dobbs, known as the West's fastest draw lawman" ""has announced his retirement after 15 years" ""of facing down gunmen and outlaws." ""Local citizens fear trouble from relatives and friends" ""of men who have fallen before Dobbs's gun." ""Soon after Dobbs announced he was laying down his badge, strangers began drifting into town."" "I received this... and some money." "Who sent it?" "I don't know." "Probably a friend of yours;" "a friend here in this town who's afraid to stand up with you now." "Or maybe somebody who wants to make sure that I'm dead tomorrow." "Now, I told those two men that they had to give me the first shot at you." "All right, just leave us alone." "It'll be... it'll be all right." "Now, what were you saying?" "I said I told those two men they had to give me the first crack at you." "If they wanted it, they'd have to fight me for it." "Well, maybe you were telling them the truth." "You want to kill somebody?" "I don't want to kill anybody unless I'm forced to." "Well, if I can convince those two to give me the first crack at you," "I may be able to save their lives, as well as yours." "But that would still mean that you'd be coming at me, don't it?" "That's right." "You win the draw and you shoot to miss." "You know, now, I don't know whether you're a fool or if you're just taking me for one." "But let me tell you this." "Now if you throw down at me, either tomorrow or anytime, you better be quick and you better be straight." "You can, you can tell your friends the same thing, hm?" "Sheriff, I'm gonna find the man who sent me the money." "I'm gonna jam the money in his ear, and then I'm gonna stand there and watch you get your stubborn head shot right off." "That's the guy, Jake." "Yeah?" "You a friend of the sheriffts?" "I've talked to him, sure, but..." "Storm or fair weather, innkeeper." "You tell it around that Paladin wants to give back the money that was sent to him." " Tell who?" " You just tell it around." "The right man will know what you mean, and I'll have some of your whiskey." "Sure." "On me, Willie." "If the gentleman will have one on me." "My name is Condos, Jake Condos." "Paladin." "To the man who kills Dobbs." "You're not drinking." "No." "You disappoint me, gunfighter." "One whiskey, Willie." "I'll drink alone." "Now I can make a nickel putting a bullet through your head." "Don't waste my time." "Just unbuckle the gun belt." "Now crawl out of it." "I can drag you out of it." "All right, now, you two." "Add you guns to the kitty..." "right there." "Now I have one more argument with you people and you won't be able to talk it afterwards." "Ria?" "Easy now, ooh, we're just gonna talk about it." "You'll kill me first, you hear?" "I swear I'll kill you." "Now, it's Dobbs you're afraid for." "Where is he?" "Away." "With a prisoner." "Ria..." "I believe that you sent this to me." "Now, how long did it take you to save ten dollars?" "A year?" "Two years?" "What difference does it make?" "I sent for you to help him, and you talk just like the rest." "How do you think I feel for that?" "How?" "Does Dobbs know?" "Does Dobbs know that you'd kill for him?" "Or die?" "That's not important." "Ria..." "Ria, sit down." "Sit down." "Now..." "Now, I did come to this town to help him, but he won't let me." "All of that talk I spread around this town about wanting to kill him, that was only to encourage the others to fight me instead of him." "I have spoken the truth." "He is a good man, but this time, he is afraid." "I sometimes think that all good men are afraid." "But it's also been said that fear is the beginning of wisdom." "Ria... it's your fear, too." "They will kill him." "Ria, I don't understand." "Now, men have tried to kill him before, but this time, you feel that they'll succeed and he feels they will, too." "Why?" "Why this time?" "I can't tell you." "It would be to put his life in your hands, and he would hate me." "How strong is your love?" "Hmm?" "Strong enough to bury his hate?" "Come here, Mr. Paladin." "This is what nobody knows." "How long's it been?" "One year now." "So he decided to quit, and you go to Oregon with him." "I'm just a serving woman." "Oh." "Will you help him?" "I will help you." "Mr. Paladin... please... it's very important to me to be able to do this one thing." "Please." "You are a very beautiful woman." "They were offering money, in the hotel last night, that you wouldn't come back." "Isn't that funny;" "after 15 years, people still can't make up their mind about a man." "Dobbs, this sign." "What does it say?" "What's the matter?" "Can't you read?" "You couldn't read my card yesterday." "I let it pass." "Well, now you're just guessing about that, aren't you?" "No." "No, I'm not guessing." "That's right." "Ria." "She loves you enough, Dobbs, to risk losing you." "She knew I'd have to tell you this, and she knew that you'd blame me." "Paladin, if you got business of your own, you better go mind it." "Now get out of here." "At 9:00 tomorrow morning," "I'm gonna call you out for everybody to see." "I'll reach for my gun, but you'll shoot first, and I do hope you miss." "Well, don't count on it!" "If you kill me, it'll be because I let you kill me, and you'll never know whether it could've been any other way." "That's your choice, Dobbs." "My way or your murder." "Dobbs!" "Well, Sheriff, our business is strictly personal now, isn't it?" "What's on your mind, Paladin?" "Well, I wanted to be sure we weren't interrupted while I tell you that you're a dirt-wallowing pig who used his badge to kill, and I'll give you a count of three to make a play." "I say one..." "I say two..." "I say three!" "Doing some coward's work for money?" "Now, you're not worth killing, but you better get before I change my mind." "Barney, check my wagon." "All right, John." "Dobbs!" "Ria, Dobbs." "Since I will not be able to attend the wedding..." "No." "Ria, I earned this money." "I do have a right to give it." "Now, here." "Thank you, Mr. Paladin." "Paladin... you know, when I pulled my gun," "I hadn't made up my mind yet." "Mr. Dobbs, that does not exactly surprise me." "You know, I might have been a lot safer if I had asked you to shoot at me." ""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" "Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?"