"The man from Laramie" "Oh, he was friendly" "To everyone he met" "No one seemed to know" "A thing about him" "He had" "An air of mystery" "He was not inclined to speak his mind" "The man from Laramie" "Hah!" "Ho!" "Oh." "Oh." "We'll make camp here for the night." "I'd go a couple more miles before sundown." " We'll camp here." " You're the boss." "Come on, Mr. Lockhart." "Grub time." "All right." "I'll be along." "Standing here thinking about it won't bring him back." "Nah." "But it reminds me of what I came here to do." "Hate's unbecoming in a man like you." "On some men it shows." "Aw, come on, Mr. Lockhart, let's have some coffee." "All right." "All right, I'll be along." "Whoa!" "Well, here we are." "You want something?" "I got three wagonloads of supplies outside from Laramie." "Laramie?" "How you get through?" "I guess we were lucky." "Where do you want them unloaded?" "I don't know." "Well, who does?" "Where's the boss?" " Upstairs." " Oh." "Anybody home?" "Oh, excuse me, ma'am." "Excuse me." "I'm looking for the owner of the mercantile." "I'm the owner." "Oh, well." "I see." "Well, I have three wagonloads..." " of supplies for you outside..." " Oh, no." "I was hoping those supplies would never arrive." "Well, I thought you'd be anxious to get these goods." "They're paid for." "You seem to need 'em." "I was all sold out and hoping I could stop being a storekeeper." "Well, sorry to disappoint you, ma'am." "Where do you want the supplies unloaded?" " Would you like a cup of tea?" " What?" "Oh." "Well, it's a long time since I've had tea with a lady." "It'd be kind of nice." " Pull up a chair." " Thank you." " What's your name?" " Will Lockhart, ma'am." "Mine's Barbara Waggoman." "Do you take sugar?" "Mmm, yes, when I can get it." "You know, I've been in rooms like this before, but not in this part of the country." "My father brought these things from our home in Connecticut." "Oh." "A man of very fine taste, I'd say." "Father had an appreciation for fine living." "But he wasted it in this store, emptying flower barrels and measuring cotton cloth." "I see." "There must be more to life than emptying barrels of flour." "Yes, I'd say so." "I've wanted to leave Coronado ever since my father died, but the stage for Santa Fe stopped running because of the Apaches." " Mm-hmm." " Did you have any trouble getting here?" " No, we came from Laramie." " Oh, is that your home?" "No, ma'am." "No, I..." "I can't rightly say any place my home." "But everybody should have some place to... to remember and feel like they belong to." "Well, I..." "I always feel I belong where I am." "Must be wonderful to feel like that." "Oh, is there any place around town my men and I can find rooms?" " Right over the café." " Oh." "Fine." "Well, I guess I'd better start unloading those supplies." "We'll unpack them all and get them into the shelves for you." " Thanks for the tea, Miss Waggoman." " You're welcome, Mr. Lockhart." " Bye." " Bye." " Sell very many of these repeating rifles?" " No." "Too much money." " Where'd you get this one?" " Indian traded it for supplies." "Mm-hmm." "I wonder where an Indian would get a rifle like this." "He don't say." "I don't ask." "Suppose you come out and help the fellas unload this stuff, huh?" " They tell me you're from Snake River." " Yeah." "Well, we expect an honest deal here." "Just had one." "I hope we get another one." "I do too, if the work is right." " Pass." " I can't open." "See ya in a minute." " Good evening, Miss Waggoman." " Good evening, Mr. Lockhart." "It's a nice evening." "You're the only one in town I know to talk to." " Maybe you can help me." " How can I help you?" "Well, I just hate to make that trip back with three empty wagons." "I sort of thought maybe you could tell me where I could pick up a load of freight." " There's some salt lagoons nearby." " Is that so?" "They're awful close to Apache land." "Well, is this salt free for the taking, you know?" "Well, it always has been." "Well, we could harvest it ourselves then, couldn't we?" "Mr. Lockhart, you were lucky to get this far without Indian trouble." "If I were you, I'd head back to Laramie while the trail's still clear." "Yeah, guess you're right about that." " Good night, Mr. Lockhart." " Good night, Miss Waggoman." " Uh, Miss Waggoman?" " Yes?" "Uh, that shipment I delivered to you..." "Is everything all right?" " Yes, everything was there." " Uh-huh." "Well, I just wanted to make sure." " Good night again, Mr. Lockhart." " Good night." "Good night." "Visitors!" "Do we fort up or run?" "Ah, just keep diggin' salt." "If they're from town, they're not Apaches." "Who's running this bunch of thieves?" "These men work for me, if that's what you mean." " What's your name?" " Will Lockhart." "What's your name?" "That's the only introduction you need, mister." "That's mighty fancy." "What's it mean?" "It means we're Barb riders." "That's Barb salt you're stealing." " I was told this salt's free for the taking." " It ain't, not to strangers." "Looks like I was told wrong." "If there's any charge, I'll pay for it." "You can't buy your way out of this." "It's only salt the stranger has taken." "It'd be different if it was cattle." "If we don't teach him a lesson now, how do we know what he'd steal next time?" "Any man says I'd rustle cattle is a liar." "No need for that, Charley." "And no need for your gun either, mister." "Spud, let's see how good you can use that rope." "Go ahead, Spud!" "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Jerk him down again if he needs it!" " Burn his wagons!" " What..." "I think I'll try your new model gun on your mules." "A man without wagons don't need mules." " You're gonna shoot those mules?" " Ha ha!" "Anybody invite them on Barb land?" "Why, you..." "Hold it there!" " Come here, boys, let's finish the mules." " Hold it, Dave!" " I don't need any help to finish this." " Your old man asked you..." " to stay out of trouble." " I'm in no trouble, he is!" "Trespassing and stealing salt!" "You burned his wagons and killed his mules over a load of salt?" " Get out of here!" " Give me that gun!" "Now, get back to the ranch!" "You're forgetting your place, Vic." "You only work for my father." "That means you work for me too." "I don't want to cross you, Dave." "I'm just telling you for your own good." "Now, take the boys and get back to the ranch!" "Say please." "Please." "You turn up around here again, you won't need mules to carry away!" "All right, let's go!" "Come on!" " I want to thank you, mister." " This your gun?" " Yeah." " I'm sorry about this." "I figure you've kind of had your belly full of these parts... and be anxious to get out of here." "No, I figure this place owes me something, and I'm gonna make it pay." "Let me straighten you out, mister." "We got enough trouble around here with the Apaches and young Dave." "Now, don't you go starting' any." "Well, that's what I owe you, boys, with a little extra, to get you back to Laramie." "Good luck to you." " Thank you." " Good seein' you, Lockhart." " So long." " So long." "Well it looks like the end of our freight line, doesn't it, Charley?" " Here you are." " How about you, Mr. Lockhart?" "You headin' back to Fort Laramie?" " Fort Laramie?" " Ain't that where you come from?" "I come from Laramie." "I didn't say anything about a fort." "I figured you were an army man." "No, I'm headin' back to town." "I like workin' for you, Mr. Lockhart." "I sort of hate to leave you." "Well, maybe this won't be the kind of work you like." "If it's got anything to do with who's selling... repeating rifles to the Apaches, I'd like to help." "I've got a personal stake in finding this man, Charley." "What's yours?" "I've always been a nosy man." "While you're going into town, maybe I'll head up north and poke my big nose around." "Up north?" "That's Apache land up there." "In my case, that's not so dangerous." "My mother was one." "I've got a lot of relatives up there." "I might pick up a little information." "What are you sticking your neck out for, Charley?" "I'm a lonely man, Mr. Lockhart." "So are you." "I don't suppose we spoke ten words coming down here." "But I feel that I know you, and I like what I know." "All right, Charley." "All right." "Come on, I'll help you up on that mule." "Sure." "There we go." " See ya." " Seeing ya." " Why, Mr. Lockhart." " Good evening." "Thought you'd gone back to Laramie." "Well, I had a little mix-up with some gentlemen from the Barb Ranch." " They accused me of trespassing." " Trespassing?" "Just who does own those salt lagoons, anyway?" "I suppose they are part of the Barb, but nobody's ever made a point of it before." "Uh-huh." "Well, they sure made a point of it this afternoon." "They burned my wagons and shot my mules." "They seemed to know exactly where to find me too." "There's no reason you should blame me for what happened." "I warned you about the lagoons." "You warned me about the Apache." "You didn't mention the Barb." "The fellow that seemed to cause most of the trouble was named Dave." " Do you happen to know him?" " He's my cousin." "Your cousin?" " Oh." "Some cousin." " You don't choose your relatives." "This is the most unfriendly country I've ever been in." "Why is everybody so touchy?" "It's a one-man country, and Alec Waggoman's the man." "Well, I think I've got to meet that man." "If you stay, you will." "Well, I'm figurin' on staying around for a while." " Something bothering you, Mr. Lockhart?" " Yes, a lot of things." "Can I help you?" "Well, you have." "Why, just standing here looking at you makes me feel easier." "You're a bachelor, aren't you, Mr. Lockhart?" "How'd you know that?" "Only a lonely man could find pleasure... watching a woman unpack bolts of cotton." "Well, it's not so much what you're doing, it's just you're mighty nice to look at." "I'm not even pretty." "Oh, I suppose I've seen prettier girls in dance halls, but... you're sort of..." "beautiful, I'd say." "Well, that's the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me." "And a stranger had to come all the way from Laramie to say it." "Well, I wish that was my only reason for being in Coronado." " Well, good night, Miss Waggoman." " Good night, Mr. Lockhart." "Dave!" "Aaah!" "Aaah!" "I told you not to start anything." "Let it alone, Davey boy, or I'll clip off a thumb!" "Hold it, Vic!" "I'm Alec Waggoman of the Barb." " What's the reason for this?" " Ask your son!" " I'm asking you." " All right, go out to the salt lagoons." "You'll find twelve dead mules and three burned wagons." "They belonged to me." " Nobody asked you to come here." " Well, I'm here, Mr. Waggoman." "I'm gonna stay here, and this town better get used to the idea." " Who are you?" " Oh, no one you ever heard of." " Well, what do you want in this town?" " That's the big question, huh?" " You don't ask it very friendly." " I don't have to." "I own this town." "I own as far as you can ride in any direction for three days." "Yeah, so I hear." "Apache land's just less than one day's ride from here." " You own that too?" " I have no quarrel with the Apache." "It's dirt farmers and fence raisers I'm keeping out." "Now, which are you?" " Neither!" " Then what are you?" "I come from Laramie." "Well, you better keep travelin', stranger." "You stop in at the Barb in the morning and I'll pay you for what you lost." "I see you've already collected interest." "Vic, get Dave and the boys back to the ranch without any more trouble." "And any of you who can't go peacefully is fired." "Come on." "Dave got just what you should have given him a long time ago, Alec!" "Ma'am, I'd like to thank you for what you did over there." "Why do you think I did it?" "Well, I'd say you have a fair sense of justice." "This is the only sense of justice folks respect around here." "Hop in and ride out to my ranch with me, mister." "Well, I appreciate the hospitality, ma'am." "I have some rooms in the hotel." "Oh, don't argue." "I want to talk to you." "Get in." "We'll pick up your horse." "This isn't exactly a horse I've got here, you know." " Mr. Lockhart?" " Yeah?" "I don't think you oughta go with that Canaday woman." " Is that so?" " The Waggomans won't like it." "I kinda figured they wouldn't." "All right." "Come on." "Why did you fight Lockhart?" "It wasn't your quarrel, Vic." "Alec was watching." "I had to stand up for Dave." "You act like Alec was your own father instead of your boss." "He's using you just like he used my father." "When he no longer needs you, he'll drop you like an ordinary cowhand." "Alec wouldn't do that to me." "He knows if Dave were on his own, the Barb would fall apart." "Does Dave know that?" "Alec won't be around forever." "Then where will you be?" "Alec and me talked that over." "When his time comes, he's leaving the Barb to Dave and me." "That's the same promise he made my father." "If he broke his word with his own brother, what can you, a stranger, expect?" "Your father was an easy man." "I'm not." "No one's breaking his word with me." "This is no place for us, Vic." "I want to leave, and I want you to leave with me." "Where can we go?" " Anywhere." " That's the same as nowhere." "Look, Barbara, we've been all over this before." "Here in Coronado we got something." "Anywhere else we go, we're..." "we're just a couple of nobodies." "You keep saying we've got nothing if we leave." "If we have each other, doesn't that mean anything?" "I love you, Barbara." "You know that." "But I worked my whole life for the Barb." "I got years of sweat and blood soaked in that ground, and I'm not giving up what's rightfully mine." "I know my uncle and I know my cousin, and neither one of them will give up a foot of ground without a fight." "I don't want to see you hurt, Vic." "You're the only one that can hurt me, Barbara." "I want to be your wife, Vic, but if I can't get you to leave with me," "I'm not gonna stay around to become your widow." "I don't die so quick." "Well, Lockhart, what do you think of the Half Moon?" "What am I supposed to think?" "It'll go a lot smoother when you take over." "I'm hiring you to be the new foreman." "Oh, well, sounds fine, ma'am, but I'm not looking for a job." "Now, you've made enemies of the Barb." "You can't stay around here and stand up to them all on your own." "Barb been giving you trouble, too, huh?" "Trouble?" "Twenty-eight years I've been battling Alec Waggoman, to keep him from swallowing up the Half Moon the way he swallowed up... every other decent piece of grazing land in the neighborhood." "But I'm gettin' to the point where I need some help." "Well, I'm sorry, Miss Canaday, but I'm..." "I'm not the man for you." "You ain't afraid of the Barb." "You proved that this afternoon." "No, but I've got no quarrel with the Waggomans now." "They agreed to pay me for my mules, my wagons..." "Just gonna take the money and let 'em run you out?" "No, but I wouldn't be any good for you, ma'am." " I'm no cowhand." " Well, you're no mule skinner either." "I can tell that from the look of your hands." "Just what are you doin' here, Lockhart?" "Well, you might say on account of some good wagons of mine that got burned, or you might blame it on a rope that dragged me through a fire." "But you'd be closer if you asked me about my brother." "He was just a kid." "We..." "I can't realize yet he's dead." " Wanna talk about it?" " No." "No, I've thought about it too much to talk." "I'm gonna do something about it." "So you're here to hunt a man and kill him." "I was wonderin' if..." "Could you let me have one of your saddle ponies?" "I'll pay you for it as soon as I settle with the Waggomans." "Guess I can fix you up." "We'll go down to the corral... after we have a bite of supper." " Maybe you'll reconsider." " No, the supper sounds fine." "Oh." "Do we fight or talk?" "We gotta finish that fight someday." "I don't know whether I won or lost." " Well, we'll call it a draw?" " I'll settle for that." "Come on in." "The old man's expecting you." " Morning, sir." " Morning." "Wagons like yours cost about $75 a piece." "Good mule costs 20." "That means the Barb owes you around $600." "I'll make it six." "That's a little more than I paid for 'em." " Well, I'm satisfied if you are." " I'm satisfied." "Sit down." "You worry me, Lockhart, and I'm not easily worried." "What do you want from me?" "Well, if you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about." "This is new country, hard country." "I've had to make some hard decisions, but I've never done anything I was ashamed of." "You don't seem to have much trouble with the Apache, do you?" "I respect 'em." "They were here first." "Whatever I got from 'em I bought." "I didn't just take it." "About six months ago they massacred a cavalry patrol on your land." "What'd you do about that?" "Nothing." "They have a right to hunt all over my land." "That was part of our deal." "They shot down 12 men on a routine patrol." "Was that part of the deal too?" "I don't know who fired the first shot." "Do you?" "I know the United States Cavalry." "What's all this got to do between you and me?" "Everything." "I want to be friends with you, Lockhart." " I don't have to be, I want to be." " Why?" "Well, I'd like you to work for me." "Ah, we don't speak the same language." "Well, maybe we could both bend a little." "I've never owned an acre of land." "Never wanted to." "You couldn't live with an acre less than you've got." "Now, just where do we bend?" "I'm not trying to buy your friendship, Lockhart." "I'm just looking for a way to reach it." "Now, how do I do that?" "Why am I so important to you?" "I don't know you, you don't know me." "I don't know you, but I knew you were coming." " What?" " I was expecting you." "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to explain that." "Nah, you wouldn't understand." "I'll get you your money." "Oh, Vic, come in here." " Yes, Mr. Waggoman?" " Get me $600." "Cash is all in the safe." "You put it there yourself." "I forgot that." "I'll get it." "Well, it's quite an outfit you've got here." "Biggest in the territory." "Be bigger yet one of these days." "Doesn't seem like there's much spreading room left." "Oh, there's always room, Lockhart." "A ranch that stops growing might just as well be dead." "Some places get so big they just bust." "Here we are." "Fifty, 100, 150..." "Hey, you better watch what you're doing, Mr. Waggoman." "Those aren't fifties..." " ...they're hundreds." " Oh." "Here." " Give him $600." " Yeah, sure." " There you are." " Thank you." " Well, we're all settled up." " Not quite." "There's nothing to keep you here now, is there?" "That a reason for me to leave?" "I know my son's never been whipped before." "He's not gonna like it." "Well, nobody likes being whipped." "Most men get over it." "Look, Lockhart, this is a big country." "There are plenty of towns around." "Now, why don't you be a good fella and pick some other place to roost, huh?" "Hmm." "I'll think it over." "That $600 comes out of your pay, Vic." "My pay?" "What are you talking about?" "It was Dave who burned them wagons, not me." "You should have been there to stop him." "I've got thousands of head of cattle to look over." "I can't be everywhere at once." "You got it all wrong, Alec." "Maybe I've had it all wrong for a long time." "When Dave's ma died, I figured the boy needed a tight rein." "And I thought he'd take it better from you than he would from me." "But what he don't need is someone to get him into more scrapes." "Alec, I swear to you, I tried to stop him out at the lagoons." "Next time there's a mix-up like that, you'd better stop him, or I'll bust you to a cowhand." "Better yet, I'll fire you." " What's that?" " You heard." "Say it again." "I said next time Dave gets in a mess like that, you're fired." "No one's firing me off this ranch, Alec." "No one." "I belong here as much as you, and more than Dave." "You're wrong again, Vic." "I like you." "I've always liked you." "But Dave's my blood." "Him I love." "And liking' and lovin' ain't the same." "You made me a promise." "I get a share of this ranch with Dave." " And I'm holding you to it!" " You got nothing in your name, not even the saddle on the horse you ride." "How are you gonna hold me to it if I change my mind?" " How?" " You wanna find out, Alec?" "Fire me." "Go ahead, fire me." "Looking at you, I see myself 20 years ago." "I don't want to fight you, boy." "I need you." "But you need me too." "Now, let's both try and remember that." "Alec, you oughtn't to push me." "I don't like to be pushed." "I'd push you right off the earth if I thought it'd help Dave." "You're right, he is weak." "All the more reason he needs your help." "Now, keep both eyes on him, Vic." "Do this for me and I'll be beholden to you." "All right, Alec." "But don't ever push me again." "Hi, Charley." "Well, you didn't spend very much time up in Apache land, did you?" "My mother's relatives wasn't anxious for me to stay on." "When I was a boy, my pa told me... that I was lucky to have an Irish pa and an Indian ma." "Said I'd have two places to come home to." "Don't seem like I have any." "Well, about the only home I remember is an army barracks." "Give me a little of that, will ya?" "I guess we're just not the homey type." "Why don't you go back to Laramie, Captain?" " What do you mean, "Captain"?" " You talk like one." "I used to be a scout in the Cavalry." "Got so I could fix a man's rank by the tone of his voice." " Why are you tryin' to get rid of me?" " 'Cause there's trouble comin', and you can't handle it by yourself." "Well, suppose you just tell me what you found out." "Sure." "If you're lookin' for the repeatin' rifles, you've come to the right place." "Some of the young bucks are sportin' 'em." "They expect a lot more." " Couple of hundred more." " When?" "Who from?" "I didn't press the point." "If I'd gotten too nosy, I wouldn't have been able to ride out." "But they got a contact." "Somebody's supplying' 'em." "There wasn't any guns in that load of freight we hauled." "Won't be any more wagons in for a month." "Wonder where that shipment's coming from." "All I know is they're excited, like they're expecting them guns soon, in a couple of days at most." " What makes you think that?" " Because they already paid for them." "And nobody takes pay from the Apaches without delivering'." "Those guns might be here already." "Sounds more like it." "Yeah, but where?" "They'd be pretty hard to hide." " You expecting to meet someone?" " No." "Somebody's following you, but he's keeping out of sight." "Yeah." "I thought I saw the sun reflecting... against a gun or a pair of spurs or something." " Better let me ride with you." " No, you go back into town." " I'll see you later." " Whatever you say, Captain." "Hold it, mister!" " All right, speak your piece." " Wasn't doing nothing." "You've been followin' me ever since I left the Barb." "But I didn't mean no harm." "I ain't got a gun." "Come on, come on, this hot sun makes a fella impatient." "Hurry up." "Come on." "I'm..." "I'm..." "I'm just trying to make an honest dollar." "See, not holding down a steady job, why, I got lots of time to pick up bits of news here and there, you know?" "And... well, I guess I know everything private that goes on in Coronado." " What's that got to do with me?" " Well, you... you strike me as a man that's lookin' for somethin'... and willing to pay for it." "Uh-huh." "Well, that depends on what the information is, who's selling it." "Well, I ain't got no references, but anybody can tell you... that Chris Boldt is a man not to be trusted." "That means nobody's secrets are sacred with me." "Uh-huh." "Just who you figuring' on selling' out?" "You just name 'em." "It wouldn't be me, would it?" "Come on, who put you on my trail?" "Who are you working for, Boldt?" " Myself." " You're lyin'." "Come on, try again." "Well, I can see we ain't gonna do no business, Mr. Lockhart, so if you'll just lower that gun, I'll get on my way." "Go on, go on." "Go ahead." "Hey!" "Don't you ever come up riding' behind me again, huh?" " Lockhart?" " Yeah?" "I'm Sheriff Tom Quigby." "Oh, pleased to make your acquaintance, Sheriff." "I handle the law here in Coronado." "I like things peaceful." "Seems peaceful to me." "It sure ain't, mister." "Not since you breezed in." "I heard about your fight with Dave Waggoman." "You know, Dave's the kind of a lad that'll hold a grudge." "You two meet up again, and likely as not there'll be a killin'." "Uh-huh." "Well, that's up to Dave." "It's up to me to see that it don't happen." "So I'm suggesting that you leave town." "Well, why don't you take it up with Dave?" "It was him that started it at the salt flat." "Or do you take orders from the Barb?" "Wait, I don't take any orders from anyone." "Yeah." "If you'll excuse me, I want to bed down my horse." " Thanks for the knife." " Anytime." "It's your neck, Lockhart." "If you want a Christian funeral, better leave some money with the undertaker." "Good evening, Miss Waggoman." "Good evening, Mr. Lockhart." " Padre, this is Mr. Lockhart." " Padre." "Well, is this a private celebration?" "No." "Everyone is welcome at a wedding." "He brought the supplies in from Laramie." "Oh." "It's a good thing you got here." "I was running out of candles." "Well, these Pueblos are a lot different from the Apache, aren't they?" "The Pueblos were cliff dwellers." "They have lived in peace for centuries." "The Apaches are hunters and warriors." "They have never been anything else." "Speaking of the Apache, do you happen to know anything... about the massacre of a cavalry patrol at Dutch Creek several months ago?" "Only what I heard..." "That it was an unprovoked and ruthless killing." "Did you know that the Apache used repeating rifles?" "There was some talk about that." "Was there any talk about where the rifles came from?" "Some men will sell anything for a profit." "Uh-huh." "I suppose there's a man like that in every town, huh?" " Padre." " Excuse me." "I heard my uncle paid you for your mules and wagons." "That he did." "He did." "Then I guess you'll be leaving soon." "No, I think I'll stick around for a while." "Maybe you could invite me up to tea again, huh?" " Still around, huh, Lockhart?" " Mm-hmm." " You getting used to the idea?" " Looks like I'll have to." "I'm sorry I'm late, Barbara." "The old man kept me." "Mr. Lockhart was filling in for you." "Never thought you'd find anything like this in Coronado, did you, Lockhart?" "Nor anyplace else." "Victor, I hope you're not going to be late for your own wedding." "I'm ready right now, Padre." "Even got my wedding suit on." "Think Alec will give you a night off?" "Well, I better be moving along." "Good night, all." "Good night." " I'll trouble you for your gun, Lockhart." " Huh?" "Hand it over." " What'd I do now?" " You just can't let a day go by... without picking' a fight, can ya?" " Who's complaining' now, Sheriff?" " Ever hear of a Chris Boldt?" " Yeah, I've heard of him." " When did you see him last?" "About a half hour ago." "He came out of an alley, pulled a knife on me." "He was there." "He saw him." "I didn't see." " What's the charge, Sheriff?" " Supposin' you tell me what happened." "I just told you what happened." "The fella pulled a knife on me, we wrestled around for a little bit and he ran down the alley." " That's what happened." " That's not all, Lockhart." " Chris Boldt is dead." " He..." "What?" "I found him at the end of the alley." "He was knifed to death." "Let's go." "I want to see him alone, inside." " How'd you get in this mess?" " I thought maybe you were behind it." "Should the time come I want to get rid of you, I won't use any half measures." "You told me you owned the whole town." "Does that include the sheriff?" "Quigby's an honest man." " I never interfere with him." " I see, I see." "You'll need a lawyer, you'll need a friendly judge." "I've got 'em both." " I'll try and get you out." " Why are you doing all this?" "I want you out of Coronado." "Suppose you tell me the real reason why you're here." " Well, that's not easy." " What?" "Do you dream much, Lockhart?" " No, no." " You're a lucky man." "For years now, ever since Dave's ma died," "I've had the same dream two or three nights a week." "It's always the same." "A stranger comes into my home." "He's tall, lean, like yourself." "Has a voice like yours." "Even walks like you." "Well, I don't know anything about dreams." "He comes with a gun in his hand." " He comes to kill my boy." " What?" "My Dave." "I know it's only a dream, but I'd rest much easier if you hadn't have come to Coronado." "Yeah, well, I'd rest much easier too if I hadn't." "Well, then, take my offer and go away." "I appreciate the offer, but I can't accept the conditions." "Why not?" "You're not gonna find the answer to your dream around here, Mr. Waggoman." "You better look someplace else." "Tom." " Hello, Alec." " Hello, Kate." " Alec?" " What is it, Kate?" "Oh, I just thought that sometime we'd have more to say to each other than just hello." "What else is there to say?" "Nothing, I guess." " Why did you do it, Lockhart?" " Oh, you, too, huh?" "Now, look here." "You get into a scrap with a man, and five minutes later he's found dead." " What am I supposed to think?" " You're supposed to think I killed him." "I came all the way from Laramie to creep up a dark alley and knife the town drunk." " Now, does that make better sense to you?" " If it did, I wouldn't be here." " Well, can you get me out of this place?" " That's what I came for." "I got the circuit judge to give me a writ." "You're released in my custody till the trial comes up." "Well, that's the best offer I've had today." "You're a very fine woman." "No, I'm not." "The Half Moon needs a foreman who the Barb respects." "You're the only man around here who fills that bill." "I told you I didn't know anything about cattle." "I wouldn't do you any good." "But you've got cause to hate the Barb." "That'll do me." "I've got grief enough of my own without taking on yours." "No, thank you." "Now, look here, Mr. Lockhart." "I'll give you one minute to make up your mind." "Either you'll take my offer, or I'll tear up this writ and you can rot here in this jail." "You're just a hard, scheming, old woman, aren't you?" "Ugly too." "Tom, let this rooster out of here." "You know, these beef tallies still don't come out right." "Here, you add 'em up." "I'm not good at paperwork, Pa." "You know that." "Well, no cowman is, but it's gotta be done." "Davey boy, you can't hold onto 100,000 acres by riding horse in a buckskin jacket." "You've got to develop a head for figures." "Sure, Pa." "Sure." "You're not even listening to me, Son." "Oh, sure, I'm listening to you, Pa." "I always listen to you." "Bring your chair over here." "Come on." "Right here." "Sit down." "You know, Davey, you're just like your mother." "She'd always listen, but she never understood." "I'm gonna try, Pa." "I'm gonna try to be like you want me from now on." "You know it hurts me to ride you son." "And if I do, it's only because I love you." "I want to protect you, and I want to be proud of you." "I just want to be able to stand on my own feet." "Vic won't let me." "Now, don't blame Vic." "He's only carrying out my orders." "You still need him, boy." "Now, believe me when I tell you that." "I know you mean well, Pa, but..." "Well, it don't look good." "Vic giving the orders when I should be the one." "You will soon, Son." "You will soon." "Just bide your time." "You see..." "Half Moon hired that Lockhart fella." " I thought he was in jail." " Kate got him out on a writ." "You might've expected that." "Stranger comes to town, and you boys fix it so he gets a grudge against the Barb." "Kate's not gonna miss an opportunity like that." " Come on, Vic." " Where do you think you're goin'?" "Kate hired herself a gun." "That's plain enough." "Dave's right, you let her get away with this, she'll hire more." "Nobody asked you." "Keep away from the Half Moon, both of you." "I've never seen you run away from a fight before." "What's got into you?" "Times have changed." "In the old days, I used to crack down plenty." "I had to." "There wasn't much law then." "But it was the only way I could build the Barb and hold it." "And now you've gone soft, huh?" "You'll be taking over the ranch pretty soon, Dave." "Maybe sooner than you think." "You'll need peace and friends." "What do you expect me to do?" "Run the Barb with a pencil?" "I'm not afraid to try anything you did!" "I hate to tell you this, but you're not the man I was." "Copy me and you'll meet up with somebody who'll break ya." "So stop acting like a crazy colt and get ahold of yourself, or you won't get a chance to run this outfit at all!" "I didn't spend a lifetime building this thing up for you to fritter it away." "Now go over those beef tallies like I told you to!" "I want to see you, Vic." "Come here, Vic." "Look out there." "Tell me what you see." "Same old mountains." "Uh, any snow on 'em yet?" "What's the matter, Alec?" "I'm going blind, that's what's the matter." "I own 100,000 acres, and I can't see more than ten of them." " Have you seen a doctor?" " The best." "That trip I made to Chicago wasn't to sell beef." "I went to see a specialist." "He says I came too late." "There's nothing can be done." "Six months to a year from now I won't even be able to shave myself." " Did you tell Dave?" " No, not yet." "I'm telling you first because I expect more from you." "When they know the old man can't see, the wolves will close in on this place and tear it to pieces." "Don't you worry, Alec." "Anybody that crosses our boundaries... will grab only enough land to bury himself in." "Oh, I know you can fight, Vic, but that's not enough alone." "You've got to think." "Even if you can't see, you can still do the thinking' for us, Alec." "I've been pretty hard on you, Vic." "Maybe harder than you deserve." "Maybe I've been jealous, because you're not my son too." "Take care of my boy." "Love him like a brother, and I'll love you like a son." "All right, Pa." "Take the east trail up into the high country." "You'll find some of my cattle mixed in with the Barb herd." "If we don't cut 'em out they'll end up wearing the Barb brand." "Uh-huh." "All right, boss." "I'll ride up and have a look." "And, uh, Lockhart?" "Keep your eye on the cattle." "Don't knife any more town drunks." "Yes, ma'am." "Gimme the glass." "It's Half Moon stock." "Come on, boys." "Let's corral 'em." "Now, Dave." "Alec said let things sit for a while." "They're grazing on Barb land, aren't they?" "So they're eating a mouthful of grass." "We got plenty growing' around here." "Alec always said, "A steer swallows a blade of Barb grass, it becomes a Barb steer."" "Are you tryin' to change that, Vic?" "No, Dave." "I'm just tryin' to follow Alec's orders." "I heard you talkin' to him in the parlor." "I heard every word you said." "All you're tryin' to do is to make me look weak to make yourself look strong." "You got the old man believin' you're a plaster saint." "I'm gonna show the cracks in you." "You all finished, Dave?" "I'm finished talkin', but I'm not finished." "Until Alec changes things, I'm tellin' the boys what to do." "I'm tellin' 'em, Dave, not you." "Go on." "Tell them." "You're not gonna give 'em the orders much longer." "It won't take all of us to corral a few head of steers." "Ned and I can handle 'em." "You and the rest of the boys can take care of our stock." "Come on, Ned." "Hold it here, men." " What are you doin' on Barb land?" " I'm checking Half Moon stock." "You got Dave in the hand." "Now there's gonna be the devil to pay." "Take his gun from him." "Gimme his gun." "Give it to me!" " Now grab his arm." " You ain't gonna kill him, Dave!" "Do like I tell ya!" "Look at it, Lockhart." "Look at it!" "Why, you scum!" "Shove him off our land." "I'm gonna ride to town." "Hold it, Lockhart." "Get his horse." "Hah." "Have you gone crazy?" "Put out that fire before the Apache see it." "I want the to Apache to see it." "I want 'em to come and get their guns." "Get away from that fire, Vic." "There's 200 repeatin' rifles in that wagon." "If the Apache lays their hands on 'em, they'll massacre the whole territory." "By tomorrow morning there'll be nothing left of the Half Moon but smoke and ashes." "You don't know the Apache, Dave." "You can't make a deal with them to raid the Half Moon and leave the Barb alone." "Once they get those guns and start killin', there's no stoppin' 'em!" "I don't care!" "Kate hired herself a gun fighter." "I'm hiring myself some Indians." "Look at my hand." "Look at it!" "It hurts." "It hurts bad." "He did it, and he's going to get his." "Now, get back away from the fire, Vic." "Listen, Dave." "So far no knows we've sold a few guns to the Apache." "But turn loose 200 of these repeating' rifles, you're gonna start a full-scale Indian war!" "I can handle it so they won't dare attack us." " There's women and kids in Coronado!" " They're not mine!" "What about your father?" "Supposin' he finds out about this." " Who's gonna tell him?" "You?" " Yes!" "Now, put out that fire or I'll tell him." "That's the last order you're giving me, Mr. Hansbro." "You or the old man or anybody." "You're all against me!" "You've always been against me." "Who is this Lockhart?" "How do I know you didn't bring him in here to gun me?" "I can't trust nobody no more." "I'm gonna fix things my way." "I'm gonna bring in the Apache." "I'm gonna give 'em the guns." "I'm gonna get even with everybody." "I'll show you who's weak and who's strong!" "You're crazy!" "You hand me that towel, Barbara." "Hold his arm steady now, because... this is gonna hurt." "Have you done this before?" "I've patched up bullet holes in places I wouldn't like to mention." "Just the sort of stunt Dave Waggoman would pull." "Pity his ma isn't alive." "She'd be real proud if she could see the way he's turned out." "Don't talk so much, Kate." "Dave Waggoman's ma was a pretty little piece of fluff from back East somewhere." "She marched Alec to the altar before he knew what struck him." "Then when she found out he was too much of a man for her, she made certain that his son didn't turn out to be like him." "Hmm!" "She petted and she pampered him till he was spoiled rotten." "You must've known him before he was married." "I was engaged to him." "He stood me up, that... that uncle of yours." " You still love him." " What..." "After what he did to me?" "If he asked you today, you'd marry him." "Why, sure, but just to get my hands on the Barb Ranch." "There." "That oughta hold ya." "That's a real professional job." "Looks like it's been done by a good army surgeon." "Oh, you've been treated by army surgeons?" "No, I've seen 'em in action." "I think we could all stand a pot of coffee." "Let me make it." "No, you take Mr. Lockhart into the parlor where he'll be a little more comfortable." "Thank you." "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't come here." "My coming had nothing to do with the trouble here." "The seeds of it were planted long before I ever heard of Coronado." "I don't mean Coronado." "I mean me." "You?" "What have I done to you, Miss Waggoman?" "I was so sure." "Now I don't know." "You don't know about what?" "How I feel about everything." "Well, I'm very sorry if I've upset you, Miss Waggoman." "Stop calling me Miss Waggoman!" "Shall I call you Barbara?" " Oh, don't go." " I mustn't stay." "No, please." "Just for a minute." "I feel like something will be said that shouldn't be said." "You know, you've got orders from Kate to entertain the patient, you know." "Please." "All right." "Did you know Daniel Boone was 84 years old when he crossed the Rockies?" "Oh, yes." "Everybody knows that." "I know all about Daniel Boone... how many children he had, the towns that were named after him." " Is that so?" " Ask me." "Just ask me." "Coffee's ready." "Shall I serve it in here?" "I'd best be getting home before it gets dark." "Well!" "What did you say to her?" "I declare, I can't understand that Waggoman family." " Barbara's the nice one." " She sure is." "Well, we'll have a cup of coffee." "Don't touch him." " Who did it?" " It was that Lockhart." "He must've circled around from the Half Moon and laid for Dave." " Come on, boys." " Hold it, Fritz." "Alec's still the boss of the Barb." "He's givin' the orders." "What do we have to wait for?" "We know Lockhart did it." "How do ya know?" "Did you see him do it?" " Who else could it be?" " That's for Alec to decide." "Now, get back to the bunkhouse, all of ya!" "There now." "I don't know what I would've done without you, Miss Canaday.." "I'll fix us some breakfast." "Bacon and eggs do?" " Yeah." "Fry 'em hard." " Army style, huh?" "Yeah." "Well, the army's a pretty good place for a fella that's alone." "I kinda miss it." "Why did you ever leave it then?" "I'll get it." " Good morning, Sheriff." " Morning." "Morning, Kate." "Come on in, Tom." "What's the trouble?" "Dave Waggoman's dead." "How'd it happen?" "That's why I'm here... to try and find out." "I heard what Dave did to you." "Maybe you had good cause." "I don't know." "But killing' is killin'." "I didn't kill him, Sheriff." "He headed for town." "I came right here." "His own men will tell you that." "You could've doubled back, met him along the trail." " I didn't kill him." " I don't believe you did... but the men at the Barb think different." "I just came from there." "Vic's tryin' to hold 'em down." "How long he can do it, I don't know." "How's Alec taking' it?" "He just sits there in the parlor, staring at Dave's body." "When the old man comes out of his shock," "I wouldn't give a plugged nickel for your life." "Well, I'm not runnin' away from somethin' I didn't do." "I rode all the way out here just to warn ya." "I guess the rest is up to you." "All right." "You tell Alec Waggoman I'll be right here if he wants to see me." "I feel real sorry about Dave, Alec." " I'm goin' with you, Alec." " It was my son he killed." " You're no match for Lockhart." " I've gotta do this thing alone." "I don't want anybody following' me." "Now, stay in town, all of ya." "Hold it, Waggoman!" " That you, Lockhart?" " I'm right here!" "Hah!" "You think I killed your boy?" "Go ahead." "Even the score." "You came here to kill, didn't you?" "There's just one man I have reason to kill, and I haven't found him yet." "Take your gun." "You'll need it the next time I see ya." "You've got to believe me." "I didn't do it." "I'm not the man in your dream, Mr. Waggoman." "Sit down, Vic." "You shouldn't be doin' book work with your eyes, Alec." "Sit down." "I just finished going over bills for the past six months." "I found where we ordered a wagonload of fence wire from New Orleans." "Since when do we use fence wire?" "We paid for a wagonload we didn't get." "That's too much money for fence wire." "Too much." "There was somethin' else in that wagon." "You askin' or telling' me, Alec?" "I just want the truth." "You don't have to defend Dave any longer." "I just want to know." "Wagonload of supplies is quite an item." "Why didn't you ever tell me it was missing?" "How could I?" "What could I say?" ""Your son is a thief"?" "We're alone in this room, Vic." "We don't have to hide our feelings." "If you think Dave was selling guns to the Apache, I want to know it." "Dave was wild, yes, but he wouldn't do a thing like that." "No, no." "Not that." "Well, say somethin'!" "Well, if you want me to agree with you, I'll agree with you." "I've gotta know for sure." "Now, this I've got to know." " We're gonna find that wagon." " Forget about it." "How can I?" "All I've got left to hang onto are a few memories." "If Dave was selling guns to the Apaches, I don't even have that." "Nobody said there were guns in that wagon!" "Stop thinkin' there were!" "I can't live with a lie!" "I've got to know one way or the other." "There's not so many places they can hide a wagon in this country." "We'll find it." "Now, supposing' we find that wagon." "Supposin' there are guns in it." "Will that make you feel any better?" "Yes. 'Cause then I'll know the man I buried was not my son, just a stranger." "Well, looks like you've been sittin' there for two weeks." "Yeah." "I just ate a pound of dust with this can of beans." "Hear you got yourself in a real box this time." "Yeah." "Someone sure is doin' a fine job of messing' me up." " Did you decide to go back to Laramie?" " Still tryin' to get rid of me?" "No, sir." "This is just one more reason for me stayin'." " Found some wagon tracks." " Where?" "Right along this break here, due south of them mountains." "A peculiar thing, though." "Only found one single track." "One and only one wagon got through." "Where were they headed?" "Into Apache land?" "Didn't seem like they were headin' nowhere." "I lost the trail right at the foot of them mountains." "Yeah." "Let's see if we can pick it up." "Well, you couldn't hide a stray dog down there, let alone a wagon, even from my eyes." " Must be up above somewhere." " How could a wagon get up there?" "There'd have to be a trail and it'd have to be plenty wide." "I know every foot of these rocks." "We'll find it." "Let's go back, Alec." "We're not doin' any good here." "Even if the wagon's there, you know you don't want to find it." "You can go back if you want to, Vic." "I'll find it myself." "Alec!" " Huh?" " Don't go any further." " What is it you don't want me to find?" " I lied to you." " I didn't find Dave's body on the trail." " Why would you lie about that?" "Because I found him near the guns and I didn't want you to find out!" "When a man starts lying he can't stop." "What else you hiding?" "What else?" "Alec, I want you to listen to me." "My whole life I worked and sweat and bled for you." "I was the only son you ever had, but you couldn't see me." "Half the time you never even knew I was there!" "I loved you like only a boy who never had a father could." "So I'm asking you once more, now, don't go!" "I'm gonna see what's on that plateau." " Listen to me, you old fool!" " Take your hands off me!" " I tell ya, don't go!" " Let go!" "That wagon must've been loaded real heavy." "Look how deep those tracks are." "This is where it ends, right here in the creek." "Yeah." "All right, Charley, you go downstream there." "I'll go up the draw here." " How is he?" " Still unconscious." "Don't keep anything from us, Doctor." "We want to know." "Well, Alec's strong." "He's got a fair chance to pull through, but..." "Finish what you started to say." "He's blind." "Oh, it's no surprise." "Sight had been failing for years." "The fall just hurried it up, that's all." "I'm real curious to find out who pushed him." " Pushed him?" " You don't think he fell." "With his eyes, he had no business on a horse." "There's nothing wrong with his horse's eyesight." "Somebody pushed him, all right." "The same one who killed Dave and Chris Boldt." "Who?" "I'm afraid Alec's the only one who can tell us that." "I have another call to make." "Sit with him until I get back." " You already know who it is, don't you?" " What makes you say that?" "If you do, I want you to tell me." "If I knew I wouldn't be waiting for Alec to come to." " What are you afraid of?" " Why should I be afraid?" "I don't know." "I don't know, but you are." "I knew it would come to this." "It just had to." "No, it didn't have to." "Somebody made it happen." "When my father was dying, he told me to leave." "He said everything here was built on greed and killing, and it would go on that way." "But I wouldn't listen." "I saw only what I wanted to see." "Tell me..." "Tell me what you're thinking." "I've got to know." "I'm not sure." "I came as soon as I heard." "How did he die?" "He's not dead, Vic." "Not yet." " Well, how did it happen?" " We don't know." "He's still unconscious." " Maybe I can get him to tell me." " Take it easy." " I've got to see him." "I gotta know." " The doc says his chances are just fair." "He may not wake up at all." "You barging in there won't help things any." "Why don't you pour yourself a cup of coffee?" "I heard he fell." "Alec was too good a horseman to fall out of a saddle." "Have any idea who'd want to get rid of the old man?" "Alec made a lot of enemies when he was buildin' up the Barb." "But that was long ago." " If I could just see him..." " Why don't you just sit down and relax, Vic?" "Kate's in there with him." "I can get him to talk, Kate." "I know him better than anybody else." "Lockhart, he's askin' for you." "Who's that?" "Who is there?" " It's Will Lockhart, Mr. Waggoman." " Oh, good." "Good." "Come over here, Lockhart." "Come here close to me." "Ah, good." "Sit down, huh?" "I got going over those old bills." "I found out about a shipment of rifles." "He made Dave do it." "Made Dave sign the order too." "Wouldn't tell me where they were." "But I know every hiding spot in this country." "He killed Dave." "He tried to kill me too." "Who?" "The man in my dream." "He didn't come from far away to kill my boy." "He was right here in my house... pretending he loved me like a son." "Vic." "That's the man you're looking for." "Kate." "Where are you, Kate?" "Kate." "Kate." "Where are you, Kate?" "Well, here." "Here I am, Alec." " Don't go away, Kate." " I've never left you, Alec." "Hah!" "Hold it, Vic." "Unbuckle your belt." "Turn around." "I came a thousand miles to kill you, Hansbro." "You're crazy." "I never did anything to you." "I'm not gonna rush it." " I've waited a long time for this." " What are you talkin' about?" "I never laid eyes on ya till that day at the salt flats." "You got no cause to shoot me." " Shootin' is too good for ya." " What did I do to ya?" "Tell me." "What did I do?" "I got a right to know." "Yeah, I guess a man's got a right to know what he's gonna die for." " The Dutch Creek massacre." " I wasn't there." "I never even heard of it." "My brother was there, along with a whole patrol of kids just like him." "You sold the Apaches the guns they used." "You're just as guilty as if you pulled the trigger yourself." "Well, give me a chance." "I'll give you the same chance you gave Alec." "They're comin' for their guns." "Kill me and they'll kill you." "Get over behind that wagon." " What're you gonna do?" " Do as I tell ya!" "Get over there!" "Kick that log out from under that wheel." "Get the wagon moving." "Push!" "Come on!" "Push!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Get back here!" "They paid for these guns." "If they don't get 'em, they'll kill us." "Come on!" "Push!" "All right, get up at that front wheel." "Pull up on that wheel." "Come on!" "Do as I say!" "Harder!" "Harder!" "Come on!" "Harder!" "Harder!" "Harder!" "All right." "Come on back here." "Come on, come on!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Get away from me." "Get away from me." " Feel like such a fool, at my age too." " Well, you look like a bride." "When's the wedding?" "Just as soon as he's well enough to stand up." "That won't be very long." "He's sittin' up now." "Kate." "Where are you, Kate?" "He needs me." " Isn't that wonderful?" " Yeah." "Barbara!" "Barbara!" " Bye, Miss Waggoman." " Bye, Mr. Lockhart." "When you go east you'll pass through Laramie, and, uh, if you should ask for a Captain Lockhart, well, almost anybody would tell you where to find me." "I'll remember that." "The man from Laramie" "Oh, he was friendly to everyone he met" "Everyone admired the fearless stranger" "Everyone admired the fearless stranger" "Danger was this man's specialty" "So they never bossed or double-crossed" "The man from Laramie"