"You know, you didn't have to break up the checkers game," "Because of me, pa." "Micah didn't mind, in fact I think he was glad we quit." "Hold it!" "come on, johnny!" "That's mr." "Harris' buckskin stallion!" "Yeah, looks like a horse thief, you better get micah." "hurry up, johnny, town man comin'." "Seemed to be a case of him" "Or me, micah." "Not much time to think about it." "Well you..." "Can't be blamed for protecting' yourself, lucas." "There's another one, he ran off in the dark." "Oh?" "I, er, think we are in for some trouble." "What do you mean?" "You ever hear of ma boyle?" "The mountain woman?" "Runs a whole clan up there." "They make their own laws, do their own judging'." "This is hoyt, ma boyle's son." "Won't be long before things will be stirring' around here." "Martin, you reckon these folks" "Got up early just to see us mountain boys?" "Mighty neighborly of 'em, ain't it?" "Real pretty, ain't she?" "Like a wild flower, sylvester." "After we hang this fellow," "Might be we get us acquainted with some o' these town gals." "Yeah, martin." "This here's good." "Come to help you with the hanging', marshal." "Mrs. Boyle, we're not having a hangin'." "Marshal, a little while ago we buried my son's body," "That you so kindly sent up." "Now all we wanna know is, you got that" "Town fellow what did the killin' or ain't you got 'im?" "I'm tryin' to explain here, mrs." "Boyle, it's not a question" "Of hanging anybody." "No law has been broken." "You mean a mountain boy gettin' himself killed," "Ain't no call for excitement in these parts?" "When a man gets caught in the act of stealing' horses an'" "Throwin' lead around, well, there's certainly no blame," "If that man gets himself killed." "Marshal, you go back a-ways." "What's this about horse stealing'?" "Hoyt was shot down attemptin'" "To steal a horse." "I thought you knew that." "Get johnny!" "You heard ma, get over there." "Johnny, you tell the marshal here, what you told me." "Well, hoyt saw this here" "Buckskin horse, an' hankered to sit on 'im." "Well, go on, boy, you ain't gonna be scared of no marshal." "Well, somebody set up" "A yell for hoyt to get off, an' he did." "Hi, mark." "I couldn't see who shot 'im, it was too dark." "Marshal, let's save us some time." "Now you just tell us who" "It was shot hoyt down, an' we'll" "See to it he gets a real fair chance to tell his story." "Yeah, maybe we'll keep the" "Rope slack enough, so, er, we hear all that there story?" "Mrs. Boyle, I consider this matter closed, an' I'd advise" "You to go back where you came from." "Back where we come from?" "You mean we ain't good enough to walk around in your town?" "Leave when you wanna leave, quietly." "Well, now, that sure better talkin', marshal." "We thought" "Maybe you'd been gettin' mad at us." "Guess we'll stay a spell." "Stay long enough, maybe the marshal here will change his" "Mind." "Give us a look at hoyt's murderer." "Mrs. Boyle?" "I'm lucas mccain." "Don't you think it's possible" "Your son johnny, might have been mistaken about last night?" "Mr. Mccain, you askin' me if I don't think my one son's" "A liar, and my other dead son's a horse thief?" "If you wanna put it that way." "I'll answer you this way." "When we bury one of our own we only" "Got two things to say." "There's been no reason for him not" "Talkin' straight, an' he never took nothing' that don't belong" "To him." "I don't say men don't get into mischief, like hoyt" "Hankerin' to sit on a buckskin horse, but I do say that the man" "Who saw him saw a mountain boy an' he figured it don't much" "Matter whether he lived or died." "Mrs. Boyle, you don't make us town folks sound very nice." "I was talkin' about one man, mister." "I reckon it wouldn't be" "Too hard to figure no town folk no different." "Fetch your ma a chair, boy." "Pa, I don't like the way those" "Mountain people have been talkin'." "Mark, here, go get yourself some candy, huh?" "Thanks." "Now, look, micah, I don't know what you got in mind, but what" "I did last night I'm not ashamed of." "Any man's got a right to" "Defend himself, so I'm not hidin' behind that badge" "Anymore." "I'm gonna tell that woman the truth." "You go out there, an' a lot" "Of innocent people are gonna be hurt." "What do you mean?" "Give me a chance to tell you why I want you to wait." "Now you know before I came to north fork," "I was sheriff at willow springs." "One Saturday night, ma boyle's husband an' two of the" "Boys come ridin' into town." "They got themselves all liquored up." "The old man drew down on a" "Cowhand in the saloon, an' got himself killed." "There were plenty of witnesses." "Over a dozen." "The next day, ma an' the rest of her brood" "Come riding' into town with blood in their eyes, an' before I" "Could count three, she an' the boys had bullets flyin' all over" "The place." "Lucas, I don't want that to happen again." "I can read too." "I learnt myself." "I don't care for it to be known." "They don't like me none as it is." "They don't like you because you can read?" "Oh, maybe ain't just that." "Guess it's 'cause I'm always doin' things, I mean like" "Studyin' things." "Oh, I like to learn things." "You ever been" "Anywhere?" "I mean away from this here town?" "Yeah, I've been lots of places with my pa." "Oh, I ain't never been nowhere. 'cept those hills an'" "North fork." "Ain't even seen a picture o' anywhere 'til a few" "Years ago." "The others, they don't care, but me an' hoyt," "We were" "Is that why you stole those horses?" "You scout around town, see what you can stir up." "You let 'em know we're in town, an' that we mean business." "Right, ma." "Well, you heard her!" "Come on, martin, let's you an'" "Me go lookee over there in that feed store." "Good day, gentlemen." "Anythin' I can do for you, gentlemen?" "Here, these is right nice rakes, sylvester." "Don't know how strong" "Wearin' they'd be, though." "Yeah, maybe we oughta treat ma." "She ain't ever had no store" "Bought rakes before." "These just came in from chicago." "Now, hold on, sylvester." "You know how it is with store" "Boughtin' things." "Mind if I test this?" "Go ahead." "The material in these rakes is the best." "Just like I figured." "They sure ain't made to last." "Well, sure they are" "Or maybe you got a poorly made one, martin." "Let's try another." "Oh, look, mister, now" "Now hold on, mister, you wouldn't wan' us to be buyin'" "Somethin' that wasn't no good." "Oh!" "No, this 'un ain't no good neither." "The material is sure mighty" "Poor." "Town folks take you every time, don't they?" "Oh, ain't that a shame!" "Run fetch the marshal, quick!" "Now that wasn't very friendly, was it, sylvester?" "Sure weren't." "Way we see it, mister, you was out to cheat us with store" "Boughtin' goods that was just no good." "An' callin' for the" "Marshal there, kinda makes us look like outlaws." "Maybe you and us, mister," "Ain't gonna be so friendly come along tonight." "Gentlemen, I-I assure you, I had no intention of cheating' you." "You gotta bear in mind that" "That merchandise over there cost money, an' I" "Now he's askin' us for money" "For somethin' we never bought." "I don't take kindly to that." "What's wrong, harry, you havin' trouble with these men?" "Don't mind, micah." "I guess" "You're more needed up the street." "What happened, sweeney?" "Micah, did you ever hear of slipping' bottles?" "What?" "!" "Slippin' bottles!" "Those mountain men." "Seems as how these bottles" "Just slip out of their hands an' go flyin' all over the place." "They pay for the damage?" "Said they'd send me down a couple of bushels o' blue" "Berries." "They don't have any cash money." "I see." "I thought letting' 'em" "Blow off a little steam would satisfy 'em." "Micah, I'm gonna talk to that" "Woman." "I can't see putting' up with this thing any longer." "Alright, lucas, I just hope there's no bloodshed." "You know, I just bet the little ol' girls around here are a lot" "More friendlier than the menfolk are." "Yeah, let's see if she's wearin' perfume, hey, martin?" "Oh, she's" "Stop!" "She's wearing it alright." "Alright, that's enough!" "This the way you treat your mountain women?" "Well, now, you, uh, aiming' to learn us some etiquette, mister?" "Thanks, mr." "Mccain." "Well, I'm askin, are you aimin' to learn us some etiquette?" "Now look, boyle, you boys" "Wanna know somethin', but you're goin' about it the wrong way." "Hey!" "Now what's all the ruckus goin' on here?" "Ah, just a little scufflin', ma." "I'm talkin' about that town gal goin' off upset a minute ago." "We was just sporting', ma." "Mrs. Boyle, in a sense the marshal an' I owe you an" "Apology." "We've been tryin' to avoid trouble, I think we've" "Been goin' about it the wrong way." "Just what do you mean?" "I shot your son." "Not because he was stealin' horses," "Though a lot of people might think that's good enough reason." "I had no choice, he was tryin' to kill me." "Looks like we got us a hangin', sylvester." "There'll be no hanging'!" "Man ain't proved guilty, he sure" "Don't hang." "The marshal can relieve himself of that worry." "I'm takin' it you still say my johnny lied." "He seems to be afraid of the truth, ma'am." "It seems like it comes down to between your word" "An' johnny's." "Seems like this whole thing comes down" "To between you an' johnny." "A difference you gotta settle sort of personal like." "No one else actually saw the shooting," "If that's what you mean." "Marshal, I hear tell you town folk got a way of settlin'" "Differences." "You sorta separate" "Out along a road, an' leave it to who's best with a gun." "Oh, it's been known to happen, but we certainly hold" "The winner of any gun duel responsible for a killin'," "If he forces the gun play." "I'm sure you remember what happened" "In willow springs a few years back." "How could I forget it?" "It's got nothing to do with what's goin' on here." "Let's get on with it." "Mrs. Boyle, if you're figuring' on a gun duel between" "Your son johnny an' me to" "Settle who's lyin', you can forget it." "Johnny, you come over here!" "Johnny got a gun when he was 10, mister, like most mountain" "Boys, an' along with that gun the lord seen fit to give him" "An eye there ain't been no match for." "So you ain't just facin' a boy, mister." "Mrs. Boyle, you've lost one son, let well enough alone." "I'm askin' you for the last time, mister," "You callin' my boy out?" "I guess he don't think you're no" "Match for 'im." "Now you see that ornament, you shoot it off!" "I don't like to show off, ma." "You go ahead an' do it!" "How good a shot he is cuts no" "Ice with me, mrs." "Boyle." "I'm not gonna duel 'im." "Then maybe he'll just have to shoot you like a standin' duck!" "Maybe if we take a nip outta one foot, he'll know we mean" "Business." "I told you a man with one foot don't walk too well." "Go ahead!" "Johnny, don't pull that trigger." "Now I know you don't wanna shoot me anymore than I wanna" "Shoot you." "But I can't gamble on your bein' able to stand up" "Against your ma any longer." "Now put that rifle down." "Pick it up, boy." "Wicked woman!" "You're a very wicked woman, mrs." "Boyle." "Such a wicked thing to hate." "You don't even know us an' you hate us!" "I don't hate nobody." "You do too!" "I don't know why but you hate us." "Maybe because" "We're different, dress different, talk different." "You gonna shoot that gun, boy?" "Why you even hate him!" "Your own son." "I don't know what nonsense you're talkin'." "You must hate him, you wanna see him killed." "Maybe because" "He's different too." "Maybe that's why you hate him." "Well, it just ain't true." "It ain't true," "None of what you're sayin'." "Worst of all to know he lied," "To know your own son was never telling' you the truth." "And who would know who's lyin'?" "Why, you'd know." "You'd have to know, you're his mother!" "My mother's dead, but, but if she were alive, she'd know." "Mothers always know." "Say the word ma," "An' I'll just naturally pick up where johnny let off." "An' I'm ready if martin," "Ain't enough to take care of this fella." "Hush, both of you." "Get the mule." "Ma, listen" "Hush!" "We're goin' home." "It weren't hate, boy." "I mean" "Leastwise, I don't think it was." "Pride maybe." "Sometimes," "A body's got nothin' left 'cept pride." "An' they fight unfair to keep it." "But I'd like to think it was pride, not just hatin' people." "We're goin' home, but you ain't." "You're stayin' here." "Well- ma, I won't lie no more." "Oh, it weren't that, boy." "It's what the boy said." "You got some difference in you," "An' you'll be better off if you stay behind." "Ma, I wanna come home." "Well, you're ain't comin'!" "An' I don't never wanna see you there again. 'ceptin' if you're" "In trouble." "If you're in trouble, you know where to come!" "Mr. Mccain?" "Oh, hallo, johnny." "I want you to know, I wasn't lying' for me." "It was for hoyt." "Me an' him wanted to leave ma an' amount to somethin'." "An' then with hoyt being buried," "Well for me to say he was a horse thief" "I understand that, johnny." "He..." "He was only shootin' at ya 'cause he was scared." "Scared for me mostly." "I'm sure he was a good brother." "Where will you be heading, johnny?" "Well, I think I'll get me some book learnin'." "I heard" "Of a school in santa fe, where I can work for my room an' board." "Bye, mark." "So long." "Good luck." "You know, mark, doggone if you're not born a psychologist." "A wh- what's that?" "Well, it's a..." "New kind of doctoring' where they talk" "To people." "Well, they try an' straighten out their" "Thinkin', you know, if it's wrong." "Like you talked to ma boyle." "Psy..." "Clolo- sic" "I may be one, but I'll never be able to pronounce it." "Psy-co"