"It's Shep." "Hey, open up in there." "Place him down here." " This fellow drunk?" " No." "Half froze." "Pour some coffee." "Put a slug in it." " Who is this fellow, Shep?" " Picked him up just below Glacier Pass." "He stinks of sheep dip." "Wait a minute." "Now, you don't think he's one of them lousy sheepherders, do you?" "I don't know." "Give him the coffee." "Can he drink it or do I have to pour it down him?" "Here." "Here." "Put some of this inside you." " Hot, huh?" " Like swallowing a branding iron." "You a cowhand?" "Where's your horse?" "Got lost in the blizzard, coming over the pass from Montana." "He went out from under me." "He fell." "He screamed." "You know, screaming just like a human." "Yeah, most horses are better than humans." "All right, drink up." "Now, if you're a cowhand, how come you stink of sheep dip?" "I hired out to a sheep ranch, 'cause it was the only job I could get." "Most cowhands would die before they'd herd sheep." "Show me one." "I guess we can't, at that." " What might we call you?" " Jubal Troop." "Jubal Troop." "I'm Shep Horgan." "This here's my spread." "And these here are Pinkum, we call him Pinky for short." "And Sam." "That laughing hyena is Carson." " You ride good?" " Yeah." "I can stay on most of them." "Well, we got a couple of extra bunks here." "You want to use one?" "And in the morning we can see how handy you are with a saddle." "Good night." "Let's get this straight, mister... as far as I'm concerned, you still stink." "Bacon's in the pan." "Coffee's in the pot." "Get up and get it." "Get it while it's hot." "I worked at the Circle Bar." "Chinese cook kept a fire in the bunkhouse all the time." "And he could cook!" "Come on, don't go torturing that thing before daybreak, I told you!" "Pinky, you know I got to tune it up every morning." "It might go sour on me." "Where are my clothes?" "I burned them last night because they stunk." "You know something?" "There's just nothing as bad as the stink of sheep dip." "You take a lot on yourself, don't you, mister?" "If I have to." "Here, put these on." "They might be a little outsized, but they'll smell sweet." "Whose are they?" "Shep brought them to you last night after you went to sleep." "Say, man, you really went out like a light." "You ain't aiming to work here, are you?" " Good morning." " Morning." "You ate already?" "No." "Just wanted to thank you for the clothes and the bunk." " I want to say goodbye." " Goodbye?" "You aiming to walk all the way to town?" "Look, when I said we had an extra bunk, I meant a job." "You running from something?" "No, I'm not running from anything." "Just wanna keep moving, that's all." "Why?" "Ain't my place good enough?" "Sure your place is good enough." "Maybe I am running from something." "Bad luck." " I carry it with me." " Where were you aiming to take it?" "You know, did you ever stop to figure that maybe it takes more energy... to keep running away than it does to stop and fight it out?" " Fight what out?" " Whatever you're running from." "You know, there comes a day, Jubal... when a man's got to decide where he's going... or he won't get nowhere." "Well, I see our sheep-herding friend is still here." "Was it Pinky soured you on staying?" "Don't take him too serious." "Ever since he come from the South..." "I seen he was born with a big fat burr in his britches." "But he's a top hand." "They're all finished eating down there." "So you hightail it in the house and fill your belly before the coffee gets cold." "You fellas move any slower and you're gonna be doing yesterday's work." "Now come on." "Who are you?" "Where did you get those clothes?" "Mr. Horgan, ma'am." "He asked me to come here." "These belong to him." "I ought to know." "I've washed them enough." "I suppose he wants you fed?" " Well, he told me..." " Are you going to work for him?" " I don't know." " Sit down." "Thank you." " Hungry?" " Yeah, some." " Ham and eggs all right?" " Sure." "That'd be fine." " Any special way?" " No, ma'am." "Any way at all." "Might as well start on the oatmeal." "It stays warm." "Thank you." "Don't do that!" "Scares the life out of me when you slam that door every time." "Cold hands, warm heart, huh, honey?" " You two get acquainted?" " Yes." " Miss Horgan." " Who?" "It's Mrs. Horgan, Jube." "Mae's my wife." "Been at it a whole year now, ain't we, honey?" " Sixteen months." " You're right." "I didn't count the winter." "Always liked the winter." "Not much a man can do outside, hey, Jube?" "Shep, you'll make me break something." "You go ahead and break anything you want, honey." "Speaking of breaking... you wanna show them cowhands you ain't no sheepherder?" "I got a no-good bay down at the corral, ain't been worked much." "Nobody's been able to take the pitch out of him." "You stay on Easy Moses and they'll know you ain't no sheep-herd." "Hook him, Trooper." "Take a deep seat, boy." "That's the way." "Stay with him, Troop." "Attaboy." "Hook him, Trooper." "Attaboy." "Hang him." " Stay with him, boy." " Hook him." "Break him, cowboy!" " Hook him, Trooper." " Take a deep seat, boy." "That's the way." "Look at him." "Break him, cowboy!" "Come on, Jube, attaboy." "Hey, Pinky, you still think that Jube's a sheepherder?" "Hey, look here now." "Mrs. Horgan." "I didn't hear you come in." " Do me a favor, Jube." " Sure." "When you finish what you're doing... will you fetch me some firewood to the house?" "All right." "You like it here?" "Sure, Mrs. Horgan." " Why don't you call me Mae?" " You're the boss's wife." "What of it?" "I wouldn't come too close to this if I was you." " You might get burned." " You're not a very friendly man, are you?" "I've been pretty busy." "Keeping out of my way?" " That's right." " Don't try so hard." "I'll get the firewood." " I suppose you needed some wood?" " What if I do?" "Well, now, how about a little of what I've been missing?" "You know, there was a..." "There was a time, not long ago... when Shep was away, like he is now." "If you needed some wood, you used to ask me." "Shep catch you doing that, he'd kill you." "Why didn't you think of that the first time?" "I think it's time I asked him to kick you out." "You do that." "Go ahead." "You tell him." "Go on, you tell him!" "When I'm saying adios, I'll describe in full your little bag of tricks." " You are asking to be killed, aren't you?" " Me?" "What about you?" "Open the door." "Sure." "I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry I broke up your little party." "Don't you ever ask him up here again." "And just remember one thing." "While Shep's away, I kind of keep my eye on the place." "And remember... when the house gets cold, you just call for Pinky." "Don't let her bother you, Jube." "There weren't a man on this outfit... that didn't pop his eyes when he first seen Mae." "It sure gets a fella." "He can't sleep nights for a while." "Then he starts to get over it." "He gets over it because Shep is such a nice fella... that he feels like he's doing him dirt." "Ain't that right, Jube?" "Yeah." "That's right." "Every payday it's the same thing." "Dress up, ride into town, and spend your hard-earned money... on poker and women." "I suspect cowhands been doing that for 10,000 years." "Sam, you mean to tell me there've been cowhands for 10,000 years?" "Sure." "You think there was a time there was no cows?" "Think those cows just rounded themselves up... then trotted themselves to a butcher and said:" ""Here, you, now, you cut a great big piece of steak out of me?"" "Sam, what are you putting on your hair?" ""Guaranteed to attract women and repel mosquitoes."" "I think they got it backwards, it should be:" ""Guaranteed to repel women and attract bugs."" "Sam, you lovely man." "I wonder why it is Troop is always the last to quit?" "What's he bucking for?" "Hey, Jube." "We always knock off early on payday around here." "Kind of a tradition." "I'm just finishing a job." "Well, now, we ain't going to wait for you to go to town." "You don't have to." "I'm not going." " You ain't going to town on payday?" " Nope." " Why ain't you?" " That's none of your business... but Shep asked me to come up to the house for supper tonight." "Shep asked you to come up to the house for supper?" " That's right." " How come he did that?" "He ain't invited nobody up there since Mae came." "How come he asked you?" "Or was it her that did the asking?" "I told you it was him, didn't I?" "I'm glad it wasn't me they asked up to that house for dinner." "I couldn't let out a belch or nothing." "I just don't enjoy a dinner unless I can belch now and then." "Hey, Pinky." "You know what your trouble is?" "You've got a whole mess of splinters in your britches." "Why don't you try pulling them out?" "I like my coffee strong enough to float a pistol." "Thank you." "Excuse me, honey, I forgot." "Mae's trying to teach me Canada etiquette." "Imagine an old bull like me getting himself a little Canadian heifer like that." "Talks funny, don't she?" "Kind of high-toned." "That's her best dress she's wearing." "Your honor, I guess." "I suppose you're wondering why I asked you up?" "Yes." "I like the way you work, Jube." "You do more than your share." " How'd you like to plant your roots here?" " Kind of looks like I've planted them already." "No." "I mean permanent." "The truth is, I'd like to spend more time with Mae." "There's this here Cattlemen's Association." "They made me top man and that'll mean plenty of meetings." "The fact is, I'll need a foreman." "I mean you." "The job's yours if you want it." "Wait a minute." "I'm new at this." "I've never been a foreman." "Look, I'm very grateful, Mr. Horgan, but I..." "Why me?" "Why not one of the others?" " Who?" "Sam?" " Yeah." "Has to be told things." "Carson?" "Too dumb." "Pinky?" "He wants it." "He'd like to be top man around here." "But somehow I don't trust him all the way." "How many men you known in your life you could trust complete?" " One." "Just one." "That was my father." " There." "That's not going to set very well with the others." "I'm too new here." "Sam, Carson, they're friendly enough." " What about Pinky?" " He hates your gizzard." "But Pinky don't like nobody." "He don't even like himself." "But someday he'll learn." "There's only three things on earth worth fighting for." "A woman... a full belly, and a roof over your head." "He'll learn." "You can handle him." "How about it?" "Is there anything besides Pinky to stop you?" "No." "How about you, duchess?" "How does Jube stand with you?" "Let him decide for himself." "You know, Mr. Horgan... since my father died, you're the only man who ever went out of his way to help me." "All right." "Let's celebrate." "Come on, Mae, congratulate him." "Jube, did you ever hear me play the piano?" "Listen." "Look, no hands." "Come on, Mae, dance with him." "We're celebrating." "I'll get that new roll from Saint Louis, ain't even unwrapped it yet." "Be right down." "You didn't seem very anxious for the job." "I just didn't want to step up too far, too sudden." "Do you really care what they think?" "What about me?" "Do you care what I think?" "He wanted me to congratulate you, didn't he?" "We're ending this before it starts, Mae." " Are we?" " That's right." "I got it all the way from Saint Louis." "A waltz, never been played." "Jube, you called me Mae." "Another mountain lion." "I think they're hunting in packs." "That's number five since we left the ranch." "Consarnit." "I'm going into town to post a reward for bounty hunters." "We sure can't take time out from the roundup to go hunting cats." "And from now on Jube Troop's foreman." " Since when?" " Since now." "Any questions?" "Yeah, I got a question:" "Why?" "Because I trust him, Pinky." " Any other questions?" " Nope." "Okay, Shep." "Well, now, I just guess we'll have to wait and see how he works out." "Yeah." "That we will." "You can make your first report to the ranch tonight." "I'll see the rest of you at Cattlemen's Bridge camp in the morning." "All right, we'll split up." "You two take the canyon track to Cattlemen's Bridge." "I'll meet you there." "Come on, Carson." "The Bar-Eight boys have picked up some of our strays." "Go and get them." "I don't know." "Maybe you got too big for your britches too soon." "Could be." "We'll have to wait and see." "That's right." "We'll have to wait and see." "Hey, Pinky, look out for mountain lions." "I thought sure I seen one of them steer-killing cats." "That just goes to show you how easy it is to make a mistake." "Yeah, it sure does." "You seen Pinky?" "Maybe he's with them Bar-Eight hands I seen..." "Are you headman here?" "I'm going to tell you something, old man." "You've got about five minutes to hitch up and move off here, and keep moving." "All of you." "We're God-fearing people." "We don't travel on the Sabbath." "I'm gonna tell you what you're gonna do." "If you don't move off the land... then you better start digging holes in it to bury yourself in... one apiece." "They mean it, Shem." "They'll shoot." "We're doing no hurt." "We've got sick people here." "Now look, you deaf?" "I said hitch up and move off!" " What's going on here?" " Who is this guy, Pinky?" " It's Shep's new foreman." " Who are they?" "A bunch of the boys from the Bar-Eight ranch up north." "Why are you shooting?" "What have these people done that was wrong?" "They're Rawhiders." "They'll steal you blind." "We're just trying to run them off." "My people don't steal." "We keep the 10 Commandments." "What do you do with the 10 Commandments?" "You sell the 10 Commandments so you can eat?" "Now how do you live?" "By helping others as we go... and loving our neighbors like it says in the Good Book, mister." "Sometimes, the hardest commandment to keep... but anyways, to put it simple, we believe in love, not hate." "You said what you thought they'd do." "I wanna know what they done." "They're on Shep's land, ain't they?" "They turn north, they're on the Bar-Eight." "All right, they're on Shep's land now." "What else they done that's wrong?" " Why did you stop here?" " We got some sick folks, mister." "This is the Lord's Day, and we thought some rest and prayer would help." "We really shouldn't go no further till they get better." " They're lying." " No, they ain't." " Are you one of these people?" " Nope." "But I rode with them a ways." "And I know they're good people." "All right, you can stay till your folks get better." "Shep's gonna have something to say about that." "Could be." "But until he does, I'm saying they can stay." "Working a little far from your range, aren't you?" "We're grateful, mister." "There'll be a lot of prayers said for you here tonight." "Say, do you mind if I ride along with you?" "I've said my goodbyes to these here people." "I came back when I heard the shots." "See all that down there?" "That's the ranch." " You a cowhand?" " Yep." "Why?" "The boss was figuring on hiring some extra help." " Want to ride along with me?" " Sure, don't mind if I do." "Thanks, friend." "You gonna let them Rawhiders squat on your land?" "Well, if Jube seen they got sick folks." "That ain't why he got soft on them." "He seen this girl... and she give him the eye and his guts got mushy inside." "Maybe now we know why he ain't going for that ordinary stuff in town." "He was waiting for something special." " When Jube makes his report..." " You don't have to wait for a report." "I'm trying to tell you, he rode up and there was the girl looking..." "I'm beginning to think the trouble with you is... you've hated every boss and foreman you ever worked under." " Now if you don't like your job here..." " Shep, please, you got me wrong." "If I have, you ride back to the Iron Springs camp and cool off." "And remember, Jube's my foreman." "What he says, goes." "Sure." "I was just trying to protect your interests, that's all." "Sure." "Good night." "You know what, honey?" "Jube's gone and got himself a girl." "What you need that screen up for when we're here all alone?" "We're married, ain't we?" "I suppose you'd like your cowhands gawking at me through the window?" "Nope." "But when we're alone, duchess... ain't nothing wrong with me doing a little gawking, is there?" "You know, I think I'll ride down by that Rawhider camp... to get a look at Jube's girl myself." "Wouldn't want him making out with the wrong kind of girl now, would we?" "He's a grown man." "Let him alone." "You smell as good as fresh-cut hay." "Is that Jube?" " It ain't a "him."" " It's a "them." Two." "Just passed Pinky on the way." "He acted kind of sore." "Mr. Horgan, I'd like you to meet Reb Haislipp." "Howdy." "You said you were going to hire some more help." "I thought maybe you could use him." "Just for the roundup." "Can't use more than four the rest of the time." "That's good enough for me, Mr. Horgan." "Thank you." "Come in and warm your gullets." "All right with you, Mae?" "If they can stand it, I can." "Meet the wife, Reb." " Howdy, ma'am?" " Evening." " Evening, Jube." " Evening, ma'am." "Shep, why don't you order Jube to call me Mae?" "Only way he'll do it." "Yeah." "And stop calling me Mr. Horgan." " I'm Shep." " All right." "There's 520 head down at Cattlemen's Bridge ready to be branded." "Good." "We'll ride out in the morning." "Anything else?" "Well, I guess Pinky told you about those Rawhiders?" "Yeah." "He says you snagged yourself a pretty piece of gingham." "They're a religious group, sort of, you know." "You just go after anything you want, boy." "The liveliest little filly I ever roped... was a red-headed daughter of a fire-eating preacher." "Present company accepted, honey." "Excuse the way I look." "So you got yourself a girl, Jube." "I'll take Reb down and show him the bunkhouse." "Sure." "Nice meeting you, Reb." "See you at daybreak." "I missed you." "You coming to bed, honey?" "No, I'm not sleepy." "I'm having another cup of coffee." "Take that bunk over there." "Nobody's using it." "Tried to roll them cigarettes once, but I couldn't learn to keep my finger out." "I saw you come from the window up there." "I came as quick as I could." "Didn't you want me to come?" "Didn't you see me at the window?" "Don't you want me here?" "He's asleep." "He won't know." "Look, as far as I'm concerned he's standing right here." "If you're talking about conscience, I haven't got any." "Not about him." " He loves you, Mae." " Loves me?" "Shep?" "I'm no more than his pet filly." "His heifer." "You've heard him." "I'm livestock." "With men, maybe he's great." "With a woman, he's an animal." " Why don't you leave him?" " And go where?" "Didn't you come from some place?" " Where did you come from?" " Canada?" "Go back there with my tail between my legs and get laughed at?" "By whom?" "By all them that are just waiting to say, "I told you so."" "Don't worry." "There wasn't a fellow back there I couldn't have if I'd wanted." "Even if we was poor, they came round with their tongues hanging out." " Know how many proposals I got?" " Of marriage?" "What else?" "I got 23." "Then Shep came up to Calgary to buy cattle." "Everybody said he was a Wyoming cattle king." "When I asked him was he really a cattle king... he said sure and would I be his cattle queen and come to his castle." "And he laughed the way he does." "His castle." "This is where he brought me." "10,000 acres of nothing." " This is a fine ranch." " For men, horses, and bulls." "For a woman, it's 10,000 acres of Ionesomeness." "No." "I can't ever go back home." "But now you're here, I don't want to go back anyway." "This will just be the first time, Jube." "We'll find ways." "Lots of ways." "This isn't the first time, Mae." "This is the last time." " Why?" " Because of Shep." "He's my friend." "It isn't that at all." "It's that new girl with the Rawhiders, isn't it?" " She's just a kid." " What difference does that make?" " What do you mean..." " When are you going to see her again?" "Don't you think you better go back to the house, Mae... before your husband misses you." "If I go back there, I'll be missing you." "Suppose he was dead." "Would you come to me then?" "Don't worry." "I've thought about it." "Anyway, you go have yourself some Rawhider fun and I hope you enjoy it." "You don't know how sorry you're going to be." "I'm sorry already." "All right, baby." "All right, now." "You're going to die, too, unless you come with me." "Come on, honey." "Little honey." "Don't come with me, you'll be dead like your mama was." "Man, I'm hungry enough to eat a hairy old saddle blanket." "All right, Troop." "I bring him in, you do the wet-nursing." " Mountain lion?" " Yep." "Whoa there now." "He got his mama, but I got him." "Easy, boy, easy." "I shot the guts right out of him." "Easy now." "It's funny." "You know, nobody learns without help." "Even Pinky seems to be learning." "Maybe he don't hate us no more, huh?" "You're a good foreman, Jube." "You know men." " You know much about women?" " I can't say I do." "Why?" "Mae." "Things ain't right between us." "You've been around." "You've seen us." "You know anything I can do to make her like me better?" "Of course, I can't change this ugly face none... but maybe some things I do, I don't do right." "There's a lot of things a man does that bother a woman." "Like what?" " Like slurping coffee out of a saucer." " Yeah?" "Spitting." "Scratching." "Whacking her on the behind when she isn't looking." " Why, I always do that." " You mean, in front of company?" "Why sure, if I just swat her in private..." " Do you think she likes being swatted?" " Don't all women?" " Shows them you love them, don't it?" " There are other ways, you know, Shep." "Of course." "Why, that's exactly what's been bothering her." "That's right." "She's just fed up with being whacked on the rump." "Thanks for the tip, Jube." "I guess you know women after all, better than I do." "How's that little Rawhider responding to expert handling?" "I haven't seen her." "I've been too busy working." "Yeah." "Doing so good, you take tomorrow off and get down to that Rawhide camp." "Maybe you can cut that little heifer out of the herd?" " Morning." " Morning." " What you doing?" " Picking wild strawberries." " You come to run us off?" " No." "The boss, he just asked me to check up, find out how you folks were doing." "Right, well, thanks." "Even Ma's up." "We'll move on soon." " Where to?" " The Promised Land, I guess." "I'm sorry." "Guess I shouldn't laugh, should I?" "It's promised in the Bible." "Pa says we'll find it some day." "He doesn't know where it is, though." "Do you like that, wandering around?" "I mean, looking for something that..." "Didn't you ever want to have a home of your own like other people?" "Sure." "Sometimes when we're moving at night... we pass houses with lights in them and people." "Sometimes you can hear them laughing or even singing." "Once, we stopped at a place... and I worked for some people while Pa was getting our wagon fixed." "And I stayed in their house." "Inside." "You like it?" "I cried when I left." " I guess you wouldn't know why." " Well, maybe I would." "Yeah, I never had a home." "I mean, a real home of my own like..." "Real home." " Not ever?" " No." "I was born on a barge on the Ohio River." "That's the only home I ever had." " You lived on the water?" " Me and my pa, we liked it just fine." " Your ma didn't?" " Well, she..." "I guess she liked it before I come but..." "You see, my mom didn't want me to be born." "I was a wood's colt." "You know what that is?" " They wasn't rightly married." " Yeah." "I guess Ma figured I come along, that it'd make Pa mad and he'd leave her." "I don't know." "Whatever the reason was, she hated me." "That ain't natural." "Are you sure?" "Sure, I'm sure." "I found out one night for sure that she wanted me to die." "I was 7 years old." "I stumbled on the deck of our barge into the water... and I hollered for help up at Ma there... she's standing up by the wheel... and all she did, she just looked at me." "Just stood up there and looked down at me... hoping I'd drown." "Pa, he was down below, he must have heard me holler." "He comes running up, sees what's going on." "He jumps in the water and comes swimming out to me." "And then, out of the dark, around the bend... this other barge comes bearing down us." "Didn't see us, you know." "It hits Pa." "The propeller starts cutting into him." "And even when that's happening, Pa holds me safe away from the blades." "He was a wonderful man." "He was, you know, really strong... and we was real close, him and me." "And when they brought his body back to our barge..." "Ma comes up and looks at him... she looks at me, and you know what she says, looking right at me?" "She says, "Why couldn't it have been you?" "Why did it have to be him?"" "Looking right at me, she says." "I just started to run." "I ain't stopped running since... until Shep gave me this job." "What am I talking this way to you for?" "You know something, I never talked like this to anybody in my life." "I'm truly glad you did." "It makes me beholden to you." "Shem, who's that with daughter?" "That's the one who helped us." "Hello, Shem." "I understand your folks are better." "This is Ma." " What do you want here?" " Nothing." "Nothing at all." " You want us to move on?" "We're ready." " No." "You can stay." "You're doing no harm." "We've been talking about heading west." "Idaho." " Land opening up out there." " The Promised Land?" "Could be." "I see you're not laughing the way most unbelievers do." "I've learned not to." "Yeah, I guess almost everybody spends their lives looking for a place like that." "I hope you find it." "Storm's coming up." "I got to get going." "What with the roundup and all, I may not see you all again." " I want to wish you luck." " God bless you, mister." " Where you going, Jake?" " Nowhere." "Stay away from Naomi." "She's been promised to me." "Shem gave his word a long time back." " Then you got nothing to worry about." " Well, just keep away from her." "Anybody wants more of anything, holler." " No." " No, Cookie." "See you at Pinewood Camp tonight." " Yeah." "Goodbye, Cookie." " Goodbye, Cookie." "Yeah, the first time old Jesse James pulled this stunt..." "I mean to tell you... my eyes just popped out like a couple of fried eggs." "Jube!" "Doggone, you sure got that thing down pat now." "Well, if that ain't Troop's little old twist of calico." "That Troop's gal?" "You sure train them right, Troop." "What's the matter, something wrong?" "I just wanted to see you." "I have something for you." " It's real nice." " It's nothing but a handkerchief." "I came to say goodbye, too." " When you going away?" " By sunup." "They just had the meeting." "Jake kept saying the land will be all gone... so I slipped off to see you." "Your pa know you come here?" " What's he going to do when he finds out?" " I'm not doing nothing wrong." " What about Jake?" " I don't like him." "But someday you're going to marry him, aren't you?" "I want you to know how it is with my people." "I never had no choosing to do." "It's my folks done it for me." " It's their way." " I know." "I won't ever see you again." "How can we tell?" "Jube, I've not been kissed." "I'd like it always to remember that you were the first." "Bye." "No." "You can't fool a quart of liquor or a deck of cards." "Now, I'll tell you what I'm going to do." " I'm going to mule-kick this, two simoleons." " You aiming to win them all?" "You gonna stop playing that same tune over and over?" "I'll go right out of my mind." "Over and over and over." "That's Sam's "Ionesome tune." When he plays it he feels better, hey, Sam?" "That's right, Shep." "Sometimes I even cry." "I got a mite of curiosity and a heap of faith..." "I'm going to see you, Shep." "Well, it's all there is, ain't no more." "Well, I got Jacks, back-to-back." "I had a pair of queens." "You ain't got no sense in your head at all." "You going to stop playing that hard-luck violin... or I'm going to break it right over your head." "Come here..." "Bust my brand-new Sears-Roebuck fiddle, Pinky... and I'll string your eyeballs on the catgut." " Shep." " What?" "What are you doing all the way out here?" "You said if the Cattlemen's report came, to bring it." " Well, not at night, honey." " It's only an hour's ride." "I enjoyed it." " Evening, everybody." " Evening." "It's our last night here." "You didn't have to bother." "Yeah, another assessment." "Yeah, you should've burned it." " Won't you sit down a minute, honey?" " No." "Might have guessed it was poker night." "I'll be riding back." " Who's winning?" " Reb." "I'm the big loser." "If we want to win it back, we'd better get on with the game." "Kiss for luck, honey." "If I stick around, I'll cramp your style." "Night, everybody." "Honey, we been having mountain lion trouble." "I'd feel better if you didn't ride back alone." "Jube, you ain't playing." "Ride her back, will you, please?" "I got a feeling Mae has brought me luck." "Oh, you pretty thing." "Like a charm, honey." "A charm." "Good night." " Think your luck's changed, Shep?" " Plenty." "Plenty?" "Well, we'll see." "This is the way it ought to be, Jube, you and me." "Let me ask you something." "When you came here, neither of us asked for it, did we?" "Then when Shep asked you to be foreman, you knew how it was." "You could have said no." " But you stayed." " Sure, I stayed." "Shep made me feel like somebody." " Shep gave me a reason for living." " Shep." "What about us?" "What if I made a mistake?" "What's wrong trying to patch up..." "There's nothing wrong with you trying." "You just picked the wrong guy to patch it up with, that's all." "No matter if you love me?" "And don't tell me you don't." " I can tell when a man wants me." " There is a difference, you know." "Then I'll settle for the difference." "And nobody has to know, Jube." "Nobody." "Except you and me." "Come on." "What are you doing?" "What time is it?" "About 10:00." " Something wrong?" " Reb just rode off." "Your new foreman Jubal Troop ain't back yet." " He took Mae home." " That's right, and he ain't back." " What you trying to make of it?" " I ain't trying to make nothing of it." "And if you don't want to make nothing of it, I ain't going to make nothing out of it either." "You got something eating you." "What?" "Mae and Jube, together." "You're a liar." "What's going on here?" "I ain't going to hit you back, Shep." "I ain't going to hit you back, because I feel sorry for you." " Get off it, Pinky." " Don't pay him no mind, Shep." "Sorry?" "For me?" "You think the only reason she came here was to bring the mail?" "You think that she doesn't know he never plays cards?" "Just how dumb can you get?" "You know there's something going on?" "You tell me." "I trust you." " Is there something going on?" " I don't know." "You, Carson." "Somebody tell me he's lying." " Somebody tell me!" " Of course, he's lying." "Since the day Jube come here, Pinky ain't liked him." "You know that, Shep." "What you aiming to do, Shep?" "I'm riding back to the ranch, for the truth... and for a reason to come back and rip you apart, Pinky." "Jube." "Jube, is that you?" " Where is he?" " I don't know." "Town?" " He was here." " You know he was." "He rode back with me." "I mean here... in our room." "What if he was?" " Tell me." " Get your hands off me." "Was he here?" " In here?" "Was he with you?" " Yes, he was here." "Yes." "You want to know why?" "Because I'm sick of you." "I'm sick to my stomach every time you kiss me." "Let go of me." "I hate you, I hate the way you look." "I hate the way you look at me." "I hate the way you..." "I hate every single thing about you." "I love him." "Do you hear?" "I love Jube." "I didn't pass you on the way from camp, so I stopped at the ranch." "Everything was dark." "There ain't no answer in that, Jube." "You got the answer?" "There ain't no law that says... you have to play every hand that's dealt you... or play a hand you can't afford to lose..." "You can always pass." "Suppose the time comes when you don't wanna pass?" "Trouble climbs on my back, I run." "All right." "I'm running again." " What are you gonna tell Shep?" " What is there to tell him?" "Get up, Jube, or I'll give it to you that way." "What's the matter with you?" "You and Mae." "Now wait a minute." "You're all wrong, Shep." "He ain't wearing a gun." "What's the matter with you?" "Keep out of this, Reb!" "Just wait a minute." "I'm gonna kill you." "You had no choice, Jube." "Now there ain't a man here... who didn't see this was self-defense." "Come on, Jube." "You heard what Shep said?" "Troop and Mae." "Yeah." "Troop shot him dead." "That's when Reb and Troop left." "Your boss will want to know how and why he was killed." "Likewise, the other people in the town." "I think it calls for a meeting." "I'll tell you what you do." "You two ride into town, see if you can locate Troop." " You done this." " I done what?" "Whatever happened, it was your doing." "I done nothing." "Nothing." "I was right here all the time." "All the time I was right here." "If I was you two, I'd start to decide which side I was on." "Shep's or Troop's, because you can't be on both sides." "I mean, I've been for Shep from the start." "I think that Shep was one of the best bosses that a man ever had." "Come on now, open up, it's Pinky." "Shep sees you sitting in his chair, you know what will happen?" "From now on, honey, it's my chair." "Shep's dead." " Where's Jube?" " What's Jube got to do with it?" "What's he got to do with it?" "Did you ask him to kill Shep?" "Why?" "Why this Jube?" "Why Jube?" "I thought he ought to be told, he's foreman here." " Oh, no, he ain't no more, he's not." " Why not?" "Why not?" "Because he killed Shep." "Now isn't that just what you wanted?" "Now listen, Shep was here, wasn't he?" "You sicked him on Jube, didn't you?" "Because you knew Jube would kill him." "Is that the way it went?" " Is that what I should tell the posse?" " What posse?" "The posse they're gonna raise." "Shep was the best loved man in this territory." "They ain't gonna let no sheepherder come in here..." " and take his wife and kill him." " Take his wife?" "Shep wasn't here." "You're making this all up." "I'm making it up, am I?" "Am I really making it up?" "Then let us ask him." "Shall we?" "Shall we ask him?" "Come on now, let's ask him, honey." "Let him come in and let's ask him." "Shep." "Shep, you come in please, be a polite ghost... and make the young lady tell the truth." "Mae, honey... come on now." "Mae, I know you're here." "Come on, honey." "Mae, honey, you treat me right, and I won't even tell the posse." "Come on." "Just treat me right." "Just treat me right, now." "Treat your new foreman right." "Come on." "It's all right." "You just treat me right." "Just treat me right." "Please." "I didn't want Shep." "Do you think I'd want you?" " I'd rather find a dog to spit on me." " Spit." "Load up, folks." "Load up, folks." "Load up." "The sun's rising high." "Load up." "If anybody needs any help, holler." "Jube could use some of that help, Shem." "He's in bad trouble." "He's killed a man." "It was self-defense." "It was Shep Horgan." "What did you bring him here for?" "What if they come after him?" "I think they might." "But I knew he'd be safer here with one of you." "I know you people believe in helping your neighbor." "I say we don't shelter no killers." "Now, get him out of here." "He's lost a lot of blood." "I've got no place else to take him." "Shem?" "I ain't always willing to ask of my people what I ask of myself, Reb." "We're hated enough as it is." "We can't get mixed up, right or wrong, in no murder." "We're people of peace." "Last time they didn't shoot." "This time they would have right to." "Anyone also care to speak up?" "Ma, please." "Jim Tolliver spoke of peace." "Let's see what kind of peace we want." "The run-away, stick-your-head-in-the-ground kind?" "The escaping-your-duty kind?" "How about the living kind?" "The kind that comes with the giving of love to your brother... and kindness." "I figured that's what we've got to show him... who once showed it to us." "Reb, put Jube in my wagon, so the women folks can start helping him." "What if some of us don't go along with this?" "You got no right to make them risk their lives." "I said I wasn't always willing to ask of my people what I ask of myself, Jake." "When we reach the crossroads we'll split up." "Eight wagons is too easy to spot anyway." "We'll take different routes and meet up at Pocatello." "It's you who will be in danger." "Which way you going?" "I'll turn back east and find a hiding spot." "We got to give Jube time to heal, like he gave us." "My brother will take care of my wagons." "Me and my sons will be proud to ride alongside you, Shem." "Thank you." "Time to go." "Everything was like always when we seen Shep come in, only now it was different." "You could see Shep was blazing mad." "He had his Winchester, too." "So, Shep told Troop to get up." "Troop just looked at him, you know, kind of guilty-like." "Shep told him again, and he fired." "That's when this here Reb threw Troop the gun... like they had been practicing it for a long time." "They had." "Then Troop shot him and killed him." "Sam, you and Carson seen them practicing that gun trick." "Not for killing Shep, they wasn't." "Now how do you know?" "Didn't they link up the very first stinking day they went with the Rawhiders?" "And who got Shep to hire Reb?" "I'm saying that this wasn't a simple case of self-defense." "I'm saying that this was a case of planned murder." "Now, we all know that Shep Horgan was the best loved man in the valley." "And we know that he gave that sheep-herding killer Jubal Troop a job." "He made him a foreman." "Now, what thanks does Shep get?" "Troop went after his wife." "You remember the first time that Shep ever brought Mae down into the valley... how proud he was?" "Well, he ain't proud no more." "'Cause he's dead." "Why?" "Why?" "Because he set out to defend his wife's honor... like any decent red-blooded man would." " Where's this Jube Troop now?" " That's a very good question, Matt." "That's a good question." "Where is Jubal Troop now?" "I say he's hiding someplace." "Now, if he's hiding someplace... then this can't be a simple case of self-defense... otherwise he wouldn't be hiding." "Does anyone know where he is?" "Doc?" " Doctor Grant, are you here?" " I'm right here." "Doc, did he come to you last night and you sewed him up?" "No, but then he'd know I was a friend of Shep's." "Sam, you're a friend of Jubal Troop, ain't you?" " Do you know where he is?" " No, I don't." "But I do know you got no right to go around... accusing a man of murder without he's here to talk for himself." "That's all I'm asking." "All I'm saying is we should go out and get Jube." "Sure." "Go get him." "String him up." "No trial." "No nothing." "No, I ain't saying we should string him up." "I ain't even saying we should pump him full of lead from Shep's own gun." "But I am saying that we ought to get him... before he lays his hands on somebody else's wife." "'Cause I don't think he should get off scot free... after killing the best loved man in this territory!" "Is anybody here who wasn't a friend of Shep Horgan?" "All right." "Now let's go find him." "You know, sometimes I think it's giving the Good Lord... the worst of it to say he invented people." "Looks like a good hiding place." "Stop grieving so deep, Jube dear." "It wasn't as if you had killing in your heart at all." "All you wanted to do was stop him from killing." "Anybody would do that." "Jube, dear, try to forget." "Just remember the good things." "He knows you were grateful to him for everything." "He knows you loved him." "Even now he knows that." "Say a prayer, Jube." "Let God help." "That's not going to help." "Don't you understand?" "He's dead." "I killed my best friend." "I think maybe we got something." "He ain't in there." " Do you know where Jubal Troop is?" " Why, no, we don't." " Where's the rest of them?" " I don't know." " Why'd you split up?" " Why shouldn't we?" "Well, I guess you told me what we wanted to know." "He's in one of them all right." "Now, we find the right one and we find Jubal Troop." "Come on, boy." "Go, boy." "Shem ought to be warned." "If we knew where they'd be." "They'll be east, the track we come by." "I'll catch up with you." "All right now." "Did anybody find the right wagon?" "No!" "The answer's simple, gents." "We've stopped every Rawhide wagon except the right one." "It means the one we want is hid someplace." "You men looking for Jube Troop?" "You all right?" "Where are the other wagons?" "They've gone." "But don't worry." "Reb and the folks are watching." "Watching what?" "Because of me?" "You expecting trouble?" "What are you planning?" "I'm planning not to have any of my trouble rub off on you." "Jube." "You go running off... because you think you're not wanted or something terrible like that." "You mustn't be ashamed, needing somebody." "Everybody does." "You don't want to be alone again." " That's for sure." " Another thing's for sure." "With all my heart, it's sure I love you." "Please don't go." "You can't stick around and watch somebody you love hurt." "That's why I'm going." " Jube, can you ride?" " Yes." "Saddle up his horse as quick as you can." "They're coming up over that hill after you." "Pinky and the Bar-Eight bunch, 40 or 50 men." "That Judas Jake, he's leading them right here to you." " How much head start do I have?" " Four or five minutes." "You start running, Jube, but where are you gonna stop?" "Stay with us." "We won't let them take you." "You're the only friends I have." "I want to keep you healthy." "Give me a few minutes head start, then lead them to me." "Lead them to you?" "Your head broke?" "Where you going?" "The ranch." "Shep's ranch?" "They'll hang you from that corral gate." "The answer to why Shep wanted to kill me is at the ranch." "If they take you, you can't help yourself." "You're not healed." "The wound will break open." " Not if I get the answer first." " Can I talk to him in private?" "Suppose she won't tell the truth?" "I couldn't help hearing while you was fevered." "She's got to let them know." "They don't care about her." "It's you they hate." "Don't go." "If you do, I won't see you anymore, ever." "I know it." "Jube, dear, what could you prove?" "Just the truth, that's all." " Take care of these folks, Reb." " Guaranteed." "Git!" "Line up like Jube's inside." "Maybe we can hold them off awhile." "They're almost here." " Better crawl in that wagon, Naomi." " Daughter, this is men's work." "I got to see that Judas face of Jake." " Hand him over." " Who?" "Who we come for." "This ain't no square dance, mister." "Jubal Troop." "What if we hand him over?" "You hand him over, then you don't get shot up." "I see you brought Judas with you." "You've done what you set out to do." "Now get along." "Don't head for Pocatello." "We don't want you neither." "Now let's get this straight." "You say if these folks hand Jube over, you won't beat him up?" " Right." " And if they don't, you will?" "Or worse." "What would you do to Jube if they turned him over." "Beat him up?" "Or worse?" "All 40 of you?" "You stopped being funny exactly one minute ago." "It was you that threw the gun that killed Shep." "Jube was unarmed." "Since when can't a man defend his own life?" "One of our people's been killed, and his wife's been violated." " She told you that?" " No, she didn't." "But Pinky says..." " Why don't you ask her?" " There's no need to ask her." "We'll get what we want out of Troop." "We'll beat it out of him." "Get him out here!" "He ain't in there." "Go ahead and look." "You got a mind to." "Why the stall?" "Where you got him hid?" "No place." "Jube's waiting for you, Pinky." "He's waiting for me?" "Where is he waiting for me?" "Shep's ranch." " You lying?" " I don't lie, Pinky." "And to prove to you I'm not, I'm gonna ride along right with you." "And if he ain't there, you can hang me." "He ain't in there." "Jube says he wants all these gents to know the real answer to Shep's death." "The real answer?" "The real answer?" "You know what that means." "It means he went back to Shep's ranch to beat some lies out of Shep's widow." "And I say we should shoot him on sight!" "All right, let's go." "Mae!" "Mae." "It was Pinky, he beat me." "I killed Shep, just as much as if I shot him myself." "He believed the lie I told him about you." "Jube!" "Don't move me, Jube." "I'm awful bad hurt." "He's not going to hurt you anymore, Mae." "Doc, Mrs. Horgan needs you." "Sam, Carson, do you want to help him?" "What's the matter, Pinky?" "Did you think she was dead?" "Is that why you came back, so you could say I did it?" "Well, shoot me first." "Mae Horgan is dead." "It was Pinky." "Not Jube." "It was Pinky who wanted Shep's wife." "She wouldn't have him, so he beat her." "She's dead."