"Arriba!" "Hey, come back!" "All right, what was all that about?" "They are evil men, sir, who should themselves be driven from the settlement." "Why are they driving you out?" "Uh..." "Women, sir." "Well, a man himself so handsome should understand." "Well, since you seem to be in no further trouble..." "Oh, sir, for saving me..." "I will watch out for you always!" "I will be an angel hovering over you." "Excuse me." "Where will I find the rectory?" "Through the portico and to the right." "Thank you." "Excuse me again." "I have a feeling I should have phrased that question differently." "Where will I find the padre?" "What gave me away?" "Padre, you have a certain twinkle in your eyes." "You're a very discerning man." "Shall we talk on the patio?" "Well, Padre, that has a very interesting bouquet for, uh, wine." "But you have another preference?" "Well, a friend of mine in San Francisco told me about a brandy that is so rare that finding a single flask of it would constitute something of a miracle." "Château d'Treyne, a private stock of 1780." "Uh, that would be such a brandy." "As a matter of fact, Château d'Treyne, 1780, is the very brandy my friend mentioned, and he said he knew of only one such flask in existence." "Yes, its, uh, fame has spread among connoisseurs." "But it's not for sale." "Oh." "Well, Padre... for a tired traveler who's ridden many dusty miles... two drops." "One for the tongue, and one to roll between the fingers." "Surely, that's not asking too much." "My friend, that you even imply I could permit such a thing." "And from a man who calls himself Paladin?" "Now, is knighthood dead, then?" "Are Coleridge's lines a fitting epitaph after all?" ""The knight's bones are dust," ""and his good sword rust." ""His soul is with the saints, I trust."" "At least you don't disappoint me." "At least not yet." "I want to show you something." "These people are descendants of the Shoshonean." "Maybe 2,000 of them in this area." "Tomorrow they begin celebrating the Festival of the Harvest." "It's still about half pagan, but, uh, I'm working on that." "There is, however, another problem." "Father, I never for one moment entertained the idea that you brought me out here for nothing." "Do you know something of this place?" "San Luis Rey... built by the Franciscans over a century ago, closed, reopened just over a year." "Well, those early monks brought a very old and treasured relic with them." "A statue of St. Francis Assisi, their patron saint." "He who loved all God's creatures." "And who was loved by them." "That statue is also loved, Paladin, by these people." "But it's been stolen." "Now, if it were to be returned for their festival, it would be almost like a miracle to them." "I have a duty to perform in the church." "Think on it, Paladin." "It would be interesting." "A miracle wrought by a man who might play Mephistopheles." "Aha." "Mention the Devil and his horns appear." "Si, but I overheard, and I have some information." "Beyond the mountains, there is a little town called Sierra Roja, in which there are three strange ladies." "Ask them about the statue." "Padre... if I do find this statue, could we talk about the brandy later?" "Yes." "Yes, we could talk." "The empty space is also in our hearts." "All right, Padre, but remember, this is my first try at a miracle." "About the only time we got action on our cage is weekends, but if you'd, uh, like to..." "No, thanks." "A cool drink will do nicely." "All right, mister, put it back." "Friend, where did you get this?" "If it's any of your business, I bought it." "Well, I'll give you what you paid for it." "I'll even throw in a little extra for your trouble, all right?" "Look, it's not for sale." "Now, put it back." "This is a religious relic." "It has great value, but the value is purely religious." "And it would mean a great deal to a great many people if it were put back where it belongs." "Oh, who you trying to fool?" "That was found in the catacombs of a heathen temple in Mexico." "I figure it's worth a lot of money to some museum." "Who told you that?" "The Indian that sold it to me." "Put it down." "Now, put it down!" "Now, I am walking out of here, and I hope you don't try to stop me, because the first man that squeezes a trigger is gonna be the man that I kill." "Looks like you're trail-blocked, mister." "Oh, uh..." "Ladies, if you'd just stand aside, please." "En la vida, never!" "Senor, put St. Francis back before you drop him." "Madre mia!" "Por favor, senor!" " Por favor!" " Bestia!" "Ladies!" "Will we move?" "Never!" "Es verdad." "Every step will be on our bodies." "Please, put him back against our holy wall." "Friend, I better find him right there when I get back." "Ooh, is this the way you treat the angel who protects you?" "No." "This is the way I treat a thief, a stealer of statues with a double-forked tongue." "How much did you get for that statue?" " 20 pesos." " Mm-hmm." "That, we'll do something about later." "As for now... you can be very... useful." "Ladies." "Ladies, the statue in the cantina... that statue belongs to a mission over the mountains." "And it seems to me that three such persons would want to see the statue returned to the mission where it belongs." "Senor, the mission, we have heard, has many statues." "We have only one." "Si, it is our shrine." "Now you understand, we can be friends." "What do they call you?" "Paladin." "I am called Faith." "Hope." "Maria." "And this is Paco, who you have to thank for bringing you the statue." "We know him!" "How much did they pay you for the statue?" "Only a few pesos." "Ladies, if you will excuse us," "Paco is about to volunteer for a very dangerous mission." "Muy bien, senor." "I misunderstood." "Did you say that I was to volunteer for some dangerous act?" "That's correct." "It's the Indian I got the statue from." "Si, si." "Oh, that man, you must catch him!" "What man?" "The one with evil eyes and the mustache." "And the black shirt to match his heart." "Oh, yeah, the stranger." "Si, si!" "Oh, he... he lashed me!" "I just got away from him!" "Look." "But at first, I did not tell." "And, oh, how he bit me till even I could no long resist." "Oh, forgive me, sir, for telling him." "Forgive me for telling!" "Telling what?" "About the other statues, sir." "Where I hid them." "How many?" "Oh, ten, I think." "At least ten, and they're each worth a fortune." "Like yours." "Where's the stranger now?" "Oh, he's in his hiding place." "But I can show you where it is." "You heard him." "Well, follow me." "Follow me!" "Shh." "If you waste time with the words, the men will be back." "Senor Paladin, if St. Francis is to go, we will go with him." "Uh, the trail to that mission is a rugged one." "Angry men with guns will be hunting for us, and it won't bother them one bit to shoot three women if they get in the way." "Giddap!" "Whoa." "Uh, how far to the mission now, Senor Paladin?" "Well, with any luck, just a few hours." "Senor!" "Senor, wait for me!" "Un momento, senor!" "Senor Paladin!" "Un momentito!" "Where did you get that animal?" "When I escaped from the bad men, my horse is shot." "Later, I borrowed this one." "Well, it belongs to the Pimas." "Now, how far are those Indians behind you?" "I do not look back." "I fly to find you." "Do you speak English?" "Do you understand English?" "All right, behold." "This is a man who is not the thief you think he is." "Now, wait." "Are you not the children of Soho and Sivano, famous for your just actions?" "There on the wagon is the image of a Sivano of the white man, stolen from a sacred place, and this man has risked his life to see that it was safely returned." "He meant no harm to you or your possessions." "It is the time of the Harvest Festival, a time of peace." "To see proof that my words are straight, ride with us to the mission." "Let the old God and the new ride together in peace and harmony." "Your water ditches will run full, your mesquite will hang heavy with fruit." "All right, friend, what do you want?" "You know what I want." "That little cheat sent us off on a wild goose chase." "Now, I want my property." "Well, these children of Soho also want their property, and they're willing to go to any means to get it." "I told you that that statue meant a great deal to a great many people." "You should see that I spoke the truth." "Besides, you've got your money back." "I left $20 on the bar." "$20?" "I gave that little crook $50." "Well, there are eight of us and only six of you still." "Why should you die for a paltry $30?" "How do I know you're not gonna steal that statue yourself?" "Very simple." "You ride to the mission with us and see with your own eyes." "Oh, we don't ride with Indians." "Friend, they understand English." "You don't come with us now, they'll consider it an insult and insist on staying here with you." "I leave it to your imagination what will happen one second after I'm out of sight." "All right, Paco, you ride ahead and tell the padre." "We are not going to ride with that evil man." "Now, I am going to the mission." "And you and you and you and you... can go to wherever you like." "Converts, Mr. Paladin?" "Father, I leave that miracle to you." "Welcome, everybody." "Come in." "Please come in." "Go in, please." "Mr. Paladin, cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shall find it again thousandfold." "Be careful." "The container is very old." "Paco, your people will be very proud of you." "Hmm." "Well, we might as well join them." "And I'll forget about the extra $30." "I have guarded you well." "I still live." "And I show that you can trust me." "Not to mention the return of St. Francis." "So?" "So why don't I get half the ransom?" "That you would imply that I would allow such a thing to happen..." "This is not ransom." "It's merely a bottle of Château d'Treyne!" "Well, that is something." "It is nothing!" "Oh, well." "There is still the festival." "Yes." "At least praise be for Brother Wind and for the sky and for the clouds... and all thy creatures." ""Have gun will travel," reads the card of a man" "A knight without armor in a savage land" "His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind" "Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?"