"Come in." "Letter for you from mr." "Tosheff." "I know you expecting it, so I bring it right up." "Thank you, hey boy." "Is this another move in the chess game?" "It usually is." "Very interesting to play chess by letter." "Especially so far away as alaska." "How does mr." "Tosheff move?" "Well hey boy, he doesn't." "Game's over." "The lovely lady in room 314 is expecting me for dinner." "Will you deliver this to her, please." "With my regrets." "You not see her at all tonight?" "I'm afraid not." "Mr. Tosheff has sent me" "A more urgent invitation from alaska." "If you'll deliver that please," "And then come back and help me finish packing." "Thank you." "Boris?" "Boris!" "Boris?" "Try to bushwhack us, will you!" "That's more than enough." "Turn him loose." "I'm not gonna say it again." "Turn him loose!" "Sorry I had to start without you, paladin." "There was no time." "You badly hurt, boris?" "Give me a minute." "It's my rib." "Who are you?" "What right you got busting into our camp?" "You do the explaining." "Why are you beating a man that can't fight back?" "He tried to kill us." "Yeah, we were just protecting ourselves." "They came to my camp when I was away." "They stole my supplies." "We warned you!" "It's our land." "You were trespassing." "I'm trespassing, too." "What are you going to do about that?" "Shoot your head off, mister." "If you don't drop that gun fast." "Nice work, sis!" "You hear me, mister?" "If you're going to shoot that gun," "You better pull the trigger quick and aim real well." "'cause your brother's going to be dead before I am." "Go ahead, abby!" "Shoot!" "Now my friend and I are leaving." "Shoot, abby!" "Abby!" "Go on, boris." "Abby!" "Perhaps I'd better introduce myself," "In case you have any idea of continuing this fight." "All right, boris." "Why didn't you shoot?" "He would have killed ralph." "Next time you do what you're told." "Hold on, carl." "There's no call..." "He didn't really mean that, abby." "He just..." "Well, he kind of lost his temper." "You should have called that fella's bluff." "Your life." "That's what carl was gambling with." "Ralph!" "Coming." "That's right, go on." "Jump." "What do you want to start trouble now for?" "Just when things are starting to break right." "Starting to break right?" "You call this breaking right," "Licking his boots, eating dirt?" "We been eating dirt all our lives." "A little more won't make no difference." "Not now." "All we have to do is get rid of that russkie!" "We'll have the whole valley." "We'll be rich!" "You don't get anything for nothing." "It costs to be rich." "What are you going to pay, ralph?" "Me?" "Abby?" "ralph, come here!" "Yeah, coming." "Hmmm." "Gunslinger?" "I never figured it'd go that far." "What do we do now?" "Boris, don't look at me like that." "You're lucky I was here to wrap those ribs." "At least two of them are broken, you know." "It isn't that." "Your hands are cold." "I'm sorry about that." "What's the trouble here?" "Who are these people?" "Well, the younger one is ralph morton." "And the other is carl grimes." "Partners." "Settlers, they call themselves." "There are many like that." "People who have come to alaska" "Since russia sold it to the United States." "And the girl?" "She is the boy's sister." "And I understand, the fiancee of grimes." "But paladin..." "The tosheff company for many, many years" "Has hunted and trapped this valley." "I don't feel these people" "Have the right to just come in and take it." "You shouldn't have trouble proving your priority." "The land belongs to america now." "The new law is..." "The land is open to anyone who wants to claim it." "And that is why I had to come here." "Why did you come yourself?" "Your men could do it." "They wouldn't stay." "Morton and grimes frightened them." "In fact, they drove them away." "But they do not frighten me." "I will stay until the claim is settled." "Settled how?" "Mr. Wade, the territorial land agent," "Will be here tomorrow." "He will decide once and for all." "There is no one out there." "Boris..." "I hope you realize now" "That they're not just trying to frighten you." "So you see, paladin..." "The valley is both wide and deep." "It's 15 miles from the notch to the other end." "Then four miles across." "The best fur country this side of the susitna river." "Seems to me this valley's big enough for both claims." "I made the offer to share." "Grimes and morton can settle in the valley," "And I will keep the rights to hunt and trap." "But grimes will not listen." "I think he's more interested in the furs than the land." "What if this land officer decides against you?" "I must obey the law." "Well boris, we've got a visitor." "Oh, yes." "That is the sister." "You go ahead." "I'll take a look." "All right." "Good morning." "There is something I can do for you?" "I got to talk to you." "And to mr." "Paladin." "He will be here in a moment." "Won't you sit down?" "If we are going to talk," "We might just as well be comfortable." "That is, as comfortable as we can be here." "Please." "Paladin." "Miss morton, mr." "Paladin." "Miss morton has come to talk with us." "Without her gun, I'm pleased to see." "I'm sorry about that." "I was afraid for my brother." "I thought you were going to shoot him." "Do ralph and grimes know where you are right now?" "Carl would kill me." "But he is your fiancee." "When you been around too long," "You lose your good taste, I guess." "Besides..." "He seemed different back in skagway." "Is that what you came to talk to us about?" "No." "No, it isn't." "Mr. Paladin..." "I been fighting" "My brother's battles for him ever since he was a baby." "I raised him myself." "When our pa died, I went out and I worked" "To support the both of us." "It wasn't easy work." "Anyway, all I want now is to keep ralph alive." "I don't want you to hurt him." "I don't think your brother is going to appreciate" "Your fighting this battle for him." "I'll make him leave here." "This was carl's idea anyway, all this fighting." "But suppose your brother does not wish to go?" "Please." "I'll give you all the money I got." "Anything you want." "Only just leave my brother be." "I think what happens now is up to ralph." "And carl." "Thank you for the hospitality, mr." "Tosheff." "If there is a fight..." "Anything happens to my brother," "I'll kill you." "A very admirable young woman." "It would be a pity to bring more tragedy into her life." "I'll try and remember that when the boys start shooting." "Mr. Wade, the land officer." "Well boris, you sound almost sorry." "I don't know how you're going to settle this." "You both got the same territory marked out for claim." "You both say you were here first." "But you can't prove it." "It'll take a settlement to decide this." "Unless, of course, you want to divvy it up." "No!" "It's mine, all of it." "Well, I say it is rightfully mine." "This should be argued before a court of law." "court?" "Nearest court to here is down to skagway." "The judge is a saloon keeper." "Only law he knows is how much to fine drunks." "There's only one way to settle it." "The valley goes to whoever's strong enough to hold it and take it." "Guns and fighting?" "Never settled anything." "I'm tired of waiting!" "It's got to be settled now." "Boris, that's not a bad idea he has." "This valley should belong to whoever is strong enough" "To take it and hold it." "Driving a dog team around this valley" "Is certainly not easy." "If you'll settle for a race." "Whoever comes in first will obviously be the stronger," "And he'll be entitled to the valley." "Say now!" "That's a right smart idea." "We'll do it by teams." "One man in the sled, one man on the runners." "Both teams will leave here at the same time." "And the one who gets back first," "Has the claim." "'course I'll take a look around afterwards," "To see all the claim markers are set up proper." "That all right with you, boris?" "I won't be much help with these cracked ribs," "But if it's agreeable with him?" "That sounds fair enough." "We can beat 'em." "All right." "Fine!" "Miss morton can stay here with me," "And you get your teams and your sled." "I'll meet you on the south slope." "I'll lay out the course." "Come on, carl." "Let's go." "I'm afraid I'll be a handicap," "But at least it is better than fighting." "Mr. Paladin..." "Thank you." "No race is over 'til it's run." "We will use my dog team, huh?" "All right, your team." "But let's try my leader." "What's the matter with mine?" "That red hound's the best lead dog in alaska." "I paid $2,500 for him in skagway." "He might be able to help us." "All right, we try." "All right, you fellas ready?" "All right, let's get the rules straight." "Now you both go off down that slope, 'til you come to the first turn." "Then you follow the course I laid out for you." "all right, get on with it!" "That's about it." "Come back the same way." "You come up the slope," "And the first sled across that line is the winner." "How's that sound to you?" "Fair enough." "All right by me." "Let's get to it." "Don't forget those markers." "Ready." "Go!" "Well, that's that." "Miss, they won't be back 'til near sundown." "Might as well brew up some coffee and relax." "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha, ha!" "Hold it!" "What are you doing?" "Making sure we win this race." "Come on, carl!" "We're wasting time." "Shut up and help me tear down these branches." "Get going." "You'll make up lost time" "Without my weight slowing you down." "What about you?" "I'm going back to the last turn." "If you get there first, I'll jump back on." "If they get there first..." "Oh no, carl." "Not that way." "Look what your sister's given up for you." "It's your only chance to pay her back." "Understand?" "Yeah, carl." "I understand." "Ho!" "Our point dog's got a bad paw." "Go on now!" "Paladin, it is a trick!" "You can win alone." "Paladin!" "Watch out in the trees!" "When he came back, we took care of him." "Oh, good." "Thanks." "Carl couldn't play it straight." "He tried to make it a sure thing and he lost." "Grimes is dead?" "That's right, he's dead." "Might have been me if ralph hadn't warned me." "You know, I might have won an honest race." "You might very easily." "Then again, you might not." "You and you came in together." "Who in tarnation won anyway?" "Well, it's not me." "That's for sure." "No, no!" "My offer to you still stands." "To share the valley equally, and you to live here." "And provide my company with furs." "Are you serious?" "I hope so." "Completely serious, I assure you." "And as partners," "Will necessitate frequent trips to san francisco." "Oh, I wouldn't mind." "Well, I'm very happy for everybody." "Mr. Wade, have you ever played chess by mail?" "Hmmm?" "¶ 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 ¶" "¶ a soldier of fortune is the man called ¶" "¶ paladin ¶" "¶ paladin, paladin where do you roam?" "¶"