Original subtitles

I'm relieving you early. I'll expect the same.

Doctor says you didn't break anything last night, Randall.

No, I guess I'm lucky you didn't hit me in the hard head of mine.

How are you feeling otherwise?

Pretty good. Doctor says I can leave today.

Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.

Stolen horses?

Ten dollars a head for the return of the horses.

Standing price for the recovery of stolen army remounts. Well, couldn't you

a fourth keyhole for detachment?

No good.

By the time anybody got there from keyhole, the horses would be sold and

scattered. Well, you see, if I went after those horses for you, it'd take a

great deal of time. And, well, frankly, I've only got a couple of dollars left

in my name.

Here's $20 from the company fund.

We'll call it in advance.

Here's your authorization in case anybody asks you.

Now, what about this Davidville?

As far as I'm concerned, good riddance.

However, the Army gives $25 a head for the return of deserters, if you can

him in.

Howdy. Howdy.

What's this place?

Town of Long Road.

Oh, don't get down.

I just wanted to take a look at the horses.

You can look from where you are.

Yeah, I guess I can't at that.

It's an army brand.

Who do these horses belong to, mister?

Talk to the marshal. Maybe he can give you an answer to that.

Well, who do you and that shotgun work for, mister?

The marshal.

Anybody here?

I'm back here.

Now, who's that?

It's you.

Yeah, it's me, all right.

You get me out, and I'll go back with you. I'll go anywhere, so long as it's

away from here. Anywhere.

Where's the marshal?

I don't know. I suppose he's across the street in the general store.

I think it'd be too expensive.

Something I can help you with?

Yeah, I was looking for the Marshal.

His office is across the street.

Yeah, I know, but he's not over there.

Well, if you're a stranger in Long Rope, I own the only hotel.

Yep.

I'm a stranger.

Now, Kurt, how about a little drink, huh?

Go ahead.

You got business here, son?

Mm -hmm.

Well, the Marshal's around someplace.

You can depend on that.

You a new deputy?

No. That's too bad.

The Marshal likes help, a lot of it.

I'll have that gun.

Yes, hold on.

No firearms to be carried on your person in the city limits.

Mr. Elkins, you were drinking alcoholic beverage on unlicensed premises.

That'll be $10 fine. You can pay them office tomorrow.

My whiskey and my store with it.

$25 from you, Mr. Payne.

Well, now, you're a new boy, and you must have a name and reason for being

Yeah.

Name's Randall.

Mr. Randall's been looking for you, Marshal.

That's your service.

I understand you own those horses just outside of town.

You come to buy them?

No, I want to take them back with me.

Well, now, that bears some discussion, doesn't it?

They're Army remands, and they stole them.

I know that.

Man has to be blind not to see cavalry brands all over him.

The man in jail, too. The man stole them.

He's got the Army brand, too.

Deserter. I figured that out.

Don't you worry about it. He's locked up tight in my jail.

My Army authorization.

We'll discuss terms later, Randall. Plenty of time for that.

That gives you a rough idea of what we've been living with for more than a

That's the closest anybody's ever come to calling him.

Oh, I'm George Elkin.

How do you do?

Curtis Payne here owns the store.

This is Webb White, our local Rothschild.

How do you do, sir?

What kind of marshal you got there?

Well, making friends is not the Marshal's job.

He's here to keep a clean town and enforce the law.

Oh, well, what do you mean by law?

You got a point there.

Our law, Curtis.

We all wanted him, you as much as anyone.

Do you mind if I ask you a question?

Sure, go ahead.

Most of us have forgotten how.

Well, if you don't like him, why don't you get rid of him?

There's a difference of opinion.

Well, I think Asa Winter is doing a fine job.

And I'm not afraid to say so.

We brought him here to give us a clean town.

The first really clean town in this part of the country.

We put an ad in the Eastern Papers and we picked winter from the answers we

Well, he's cleaned up long rope. You can't deny that.

Clean it out is more like it. He acts like we're working for him.

Listen, why don't you people get together?

If you don't like what the man's doing to your town, fine.

Mr. Randall, this is not your affair.

I suggest you keep out of it.

Yeah, you're probably right, it isn't.

Well, I've got a hunch there goes your precious piece.

That's Consuelo.

I named the place after her.

Sidewinder Saloon.

Yeah, she's three feet long and six rattles.

Ain't she, though?

You know, there's something about a snake. You never get tired watching her.

Oh, her name's Beasley, mister. What can I get you? Just make it cold.

Ice costs extra.

Yeah.

The, uh... Marshal ever come in here?

Oh, yeah, he's due in today.

It's tax day.

Around the only licensed place in town.

People want to take a drink, they got to come to the Sidewinder.

Say, uh, Marshal, uh, may I get a cut from you?

There's some things you got to live with.

Yeah, you're the nervy boy in Payne's store.

You said something about discussing terms.

No time for that.

Let's do it now.

Sit down, my boy.

I know the value of a good horse, boy.

It's legal and proper.

No arguments, boy. But there's a few things like cost, fees, fines,

etc., etc.

How much?

Well, Davis' bill, that's 500.

I have 100.

And I caught you carrying a firearm in the city limits. That'll be $200 fine.

Say, excuse me, but who sets these fines and so forth?

The marshal, boy.

The marshal decides.

All right.

Now, that's the 30 head of horses for eating care. That's $50 a head.

That's, uh, add it all up, and it totals...

$2 ,200 even.

Excuse me for saying so, but you know, you're not just dealing with me when it

comes to these horses.

You're dealing with the United States Army.

$2 ,200 for a get -out, Randall. Those are the terms all discussed.

We're not going to be able to keep this quiet.

Maybe the Army will come, and maybe it won't.

If they do come, those horses will be gone, and so will that deserter, Davis.

Everybody knows about the horses.

They've seen deers.

Everybody has little to say about it if they know what's good for them, and they

do. This is my town, and I'll run it.

You see, boy, I ain't no more afraid of your army than I am that poor critter in

that cage there.

You know, I had the funniest feeling a minute ago that, well, you look a little

scared of that snake.

Unlike him.

You wouldn't want to bet on it, would you?

It's your thing. Wouldn't be a fair bet.

Well, it's just a gentlemanly bet, you understand, but I bet you can't put your

hand on that glass and let that snake strike from inside and keep your hand

laying on there.

Well, don't worry. That glass won't break.

Mm -hmm.

Where's the bet?

Bet my horse, my saddle, and $20 against all those fees and those fines, huh?

Mm -hmm.

The snake's inside. The glass won't break.

You're pretty sure he's that boy nothing to be ashamed of you know to be scared

of a snake All right, you made a bet

up, Marshal.

Don't feel bad. You know, that's an old greenhorn trick.

Only you ain't been around here long enough to know it. What do you mean?

It's impossible to do.

It's just something about a snake.

Makes a man pull away, even with a glass there.

a fool of me.

Gentlemen, I'm only carrying out my duties as I see them for the good of the

town. Then you understand, Mr. Winter. We simply don't want any trouble with

army.

We don't want any trouble with anybody.

Well, neither do I, gentlemen. Neither do I.

Then you'll return the horses to Mr. Randall.

Davis, and I'd like to get my gun back, too.

I'm afraid I can't do any such thing.

Why not?

Well, there's certain items of expense.

Mr. Randall here.

He broke the law.

He didn't know the law. He's a stranger in town.

Well, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

How about the horses?

As I was saying, gentlemen, carrying 30 head of horses is a lot of bees and

honey. Money, gentlemen.

A lot of money for the town treasurer to spend.

But we feel it's worth it to avoid scandal with the army.

There'll be few answers from this town.

Unless you want scandal, gentlemen.

Are you telling us to be a part of a swindle, Mr. Winter?

Well, we won't do it.

We have a quorum of the town council here.

We demand that you return the horses and the prisoner to Mr. Randall.

And my gun.

Keep on demanding, gentlemen, if it makes you feel any better, but it's not

going to do you any good. What are you saying?

I'm saying that I run this town and there's nothing you can do about it.

I'm saying if you don't like it, then you can get out.

I move we fire Winter as marshal. In favor?

Aye.

Opposed?

Mister, you're fired.

Well, I'll leave when I'm ready, gentlemen.

But not before.

You satisfied with that?

We're going to stand here like a bunch of sheep or we're going to throw them

out? I say ride them out on a rail.

Everybody, off the streets.

I'm declaring a curfew.

Go home.

Go.

I'll let you know when you can come out again.

and keep everybody out of the truth.

Alvin must be making a curfew stick.

Well, we've got to figure out some kind of a move.

Maybe we should wait, let things cool off.

No, you wait, strong winner gets.

Well, what can we do? We're not gunmen.

Good, then he won't be expecting a fight.

When? Now, tonight.

But we're not ready.

Neither is he.

Well, what about guns? We don't have any. The marshal confiscated all of

And he has three armed deputies.

We can count on 25, 30 men at least.

Family men. Some of them are bound to get hurt.

I don't think so.

Like you said, 25 or 30 men.

It only takes one man and one gun.

Are you thinking of doing this alone?

Well, it's the only way it can be done. You get all those men together in the

dark like that, and, well, you can't tell one from another.

It'd be like a blind man on a rabbit hunt.

I'd be shooting at everything that moves.

What are you going to do?

Well, I'd kind of like to try and get my gun back.

We can handle this. You go get the marshal.

Hey, what's happening?

What's going on out there? Just be quiet.

Don't leave me here.

Shut up. You're in the safest place in town. You don't know it.

Let me out of here and I can help you. I'm on your side.

Where's Randall?

Back inside.

You, stay here.

First one that shows himself, even if it were to kill him.

One sign and I'll kill you.

I'm serious.

We understand each other, don't we?

All right, turn around.

I don't like killing, Winner.

You don't kill me, I'm going to kill you.

It's that simple.

Which way are you going?

I'm going right up near the Salt River.

What are your plans when you finish up?

I don't know. I haven't given it much thought.

Well, we were wondering if you'd consider coming back here.

We'd like to offer you the job of marshal.

No, I don't think so.

Oh, pay you real good.

Fifty dollars a month.

Uh, sixty?

Well, after all, Mr. Randall, Long Oak's more than just a wide spot in the road.

We're just liable to end up being in a county seat.

This town's got a real future.

We'd like you to be a part of it.

Well, I'm much obliged to you for asking me, but... Wearing a badge is kind of

like being married, isn't it?

I don't understand.

What's wrong with being married?

Well, how long has it been since you've been a bachelor?

This has been a four star production.