Original subtitles

General, this is Chief Satangai.

War chief of the Sioux Nation.

Wanted him here today.

He's here.

Let's hope that this is an end to it.

End to the agony on both sides.

I wish I could believe that.

We've been refused water at four homesteads in the past 50 miles.

Refused water?

We're Mormons.

Is it like leprosy then?

I beg your pardon, ma 'am.

You and your lady are welcome here.

They sure are getting along fast, huh?

She isn't paying much attention to him already having a wife, either.

Aunt Molly, he really cares for me.

And he wants a wife who can give him children. Neither Maggie or his other

can.

He has another wife? I will not have you running off to be someone's...

...concubine!

Jeremiah has asked me to marry him, and I'm going to say yes.

You're not my mother. You can't tell me what to do.

You're not concerned at all about, well, sharing him with my niece?

It will be a joy to have her in the household.

And Jeremiah's other wife, Ellen, she won't be concerned either.

She'll probably be even happier than I am.

She'll have someone close to her own age to talk with. Close to Laura's age.

She's only 20, Mrs. Culhane. Now, I could send Josh to Kelsey to get Ellen.

It's very generous of you.

Not at all.

You don't look so good.

It was Tobe, wasn't it?

You know it was Tobe because you put him up to it. It's your own fault.

How's that?

It's simple.

A girl's got to do something to get noticed.

to get noticed.

Why didn't you start with this?

Your legal bounty.

Somebody come looking for you, nothing you can do but run.

And I don't want my daughter running with you.

And ain't no life for no woman.

I'll tell her I'm going.

I'd rather you didn't.

She cares a lot for you, Luke.

You tell her the truth.

She'll either run after you or spend the rest of her life mooning over what

might have been.

Bye, Orville.

Thanks for everything.

Get out of here.

Oh,

that's pretty fair horse handling, I'd say.

Doggone it, that thing almost got me killed.

Well, maybe you don't deserve to live pushing a horse that hard.

Pedro, I reckon we're going to have to take him in.

I think you're right.

We are what we are, Luke.

No apologies.

Robbins, yes.

But we only take from those that have more than their share.

We never steal from the poor.

You say what you're doing is right?

Now, that is an ethical objection.

And that is precisely the only difference between you and me.

What do you mean? It seems we both stand a reasonably good chance of ending up

on the gallows.

But I, for robbery, is enthusiastically committed and freely acknowledged.

You are going to believe your story.

For something you didn't do.

Joining you.

That idea so far fixed?

I think I'd have to give that one a little more thought.

Don't take too long. We're moving out in a week.

Something we've had planned for a long time.

There it is. We are going to take a gold shipment being sent down from that

mine. A gold shipment?

That's right.

The gold rolls in three days.

We're going to hit them when they least expect it. In a little town called

Jimson's Brick.

You ever heard of Jimson's break?

Some old sheriff runs the town. Who's crazy about trout fishing. That's right.

Colonel Miller!

We caught him trying to escape.

I don't understand you, boy. I truly don't understand you.

Look, I just don't want the colonel to try the mine shipment at Jimson's break.

Why? It doesn't make any difference to you.

Because I got friends there.

Well, you were starting to have some friends up here, too, weren't you?

Anyway, nobody's gonna get hurt if they don't try to interfere.

Suppose they do try to interfere.

Why, it'd just be proving that they got a little sense.

I was hoping you was fixing to join up with us.

Passed through my mind more than once, Kirk, believe me.

Well, I'm not so sure the colonel is going to give you a second chance to

about it.

Well, I don't want a second chance.

I got a price on my head.

And I know that I am not guilty of anything, but if I join up with you, I

be guilty.

And I don't think I'd like that.

See, Kurt, I... I sleep pretty good at night nowadays.

Kind of like to keep it that way.

I just don't understand you.

I've got a horse ready for me.

I've got to talk to Orville.

He doesn't want to talk to you anymore, and neither do I. Hillary. Get out,

please. Get out. Hillary, it's important.

Can't you see that you're not wanted here any longer?

Hillary, I'm sorry for going off the way I did without saying anything.

You've got a right to be mad at me.

I'm not mad.

I just don't feel anything anymore.

I don't feel anything for you, Luke.

And I don't want to see you again, not ever.

Oh, Hillary.

Please, just listen to me. Oh, why should I listen to you?

I've heard it all before, remember?

You're the most wonderful girl in the world. Isn't that the way it went?

And I, like a fool, believed you.

Well, you got what you want.

You just left without even saying thanks for the hayride, Hillary.

No, it wasn't like that.

I made a promise.

Oh, I know all about you and your fine promises.

Well, I don't want to hear it anymore, Luke McCann.

Now just get out of this house.

Look.

I came back here because I had to.

Because I have to talk to your pa.

Hillary, if I tell you the truth about why I left, then would you tell me

where he is?

Your father found out I was dishonest with him.

In addition to wounding that sheriff in Missouri, I've killed other men.

Orville knew these killings were in self -defense, but he didn't want you

getting serious over a man who's building his reputation as a gunfighter.

Pa sent you away?

Let's just say we talked about it.

She always agreed that it'd be better for you if I just disappeared.

Without one word of explanation?

Hillary was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, believe me.

Now, please, will you just tell me where Orville is?

He was playing worried father.

And you were being noble.

You actually rode away forever to save me from myself.

You mean to tell me that you two decided between yourselves how I was going to

run my life?

Didn't you ever consider that I had the right to decide?

Oh, the arrogance of it all.

Why, you... Hillary, I...

Hillary, stop. Wait a minute.

Hillary, please.

When you see my pa, you tell him he better not set his face on here.

Wait a minute.

Will you wait a minute?

It wasn't that way.

Hillary, what's going on?

Look, what are you doing here? I'll tell you what he's doing here. He's back

visiting his partner in crime. That's what he's doing here. Stop it. Stop it

now, girl.

Let's talk about this.

Let's talk about it.

Let's talk about how you two men decided how you were going to run my life and

who I was going to marry.

Marry?

Yes, marry.

Now, you listen to me.

I told you you had the right to get mad if you wanted to, and you can get mad

all over again if you want.

But I have got to talk to Orville.

Now, this town's in danger.

The Flint gang's going to rob that gold shipment coming up here tomorrow.

Hello. Back to stay?

I'll pray that's going to have to wait until later, son.

I want you to get out there and saddle up your horse.

They figured this town would be the last place where the mine guards would

expect to get robbed, huh? That's about it.

Jared's just as clever a man as I've ever met.

Tommy, I want you to take this note up to Mr. Jimson, all right?

All right, Pa.

Tell him to reroute that gold shipment.

Pa, I don't think I can get up there much before dark.

Mr. Jimson will give you supper and he'll find some place for you to sleep.

But you come back here bright and early in the morning, understand?

All right, Pa.

Now, wait a minute. You're telling him to reroute the shipment?

The south road from the mine leads straight into town here.

But if he takes the north road, out the back door, so to speak, he can get into

Butte City.

It's a lot longer that way, but that way he won't come anywhere near here.

Well, we're going to have to see. We can't figure out some way to give old

Flint a nice warm welcome.

I sure wish there'd be a way to stop a fight before any starts.

I can't see no way.

See you down at the saloon.

I sure missed you, Hillary.

I missed you too, Luke.

I'd second thought maybe we ought to walk down there together, huh?

I figure you can give me some more of the details.

the camp.

Howdy. Looking for some place to rest my horse. Smelled your coffee.

We didn't ask for no company.

Move on.

What's the matter? You got somebody hurt there?

What we've got or ain't got is none of your business, mister.

You've been told to move on.

I wouldn't do that.

Of course, you get rid of that gun.

You get over there.

Zab. Zab McCann.

I don't believe it.

It's impossible.

Beth.

I saw you back there. I thought I was seeing a ghost.

Elizabeth Harrison is dead. She died in the Fort Niles massacre with her

husband. I don't know how to explain.

Don't try to explain now.

You need rest.

You've been roughed up real bad.

I tried to escape.

When they caught me, the big one hit.

It's all right.

They're both dead.

Both?

There were three.

I thought I saw a third set of tracks out there.

He's probably taken off for parts unknown.

You think you got any broken bones?

I don't think so.

Just a headache.

I don't think I've had any sleep for a week.

I can't believe it.

I can't believe it's you.

I can't believe it.

It's all right.

Beth, we'll talk about it later.

Right now, you gotta rest.

But there's so much to say.

Later.

All right, then.

Whatever you say.

If you sent word to Jimson not to bring the gold in, what are we doing here?

Holdly, Flint doesn't know that the gold's not coming in.

He and his men are still coming here looking for it.

Do you know what I say, Orville? To the devil with Jimson.

Just give me one good reason why I should stick my neck out for him.

He already owns all the money in the town, and he sure as heck ain't sharing

with me.

All right, maybe there ain't a man or woman in this town that's got any love

Jimson. But that ain't the point. You're dang right we ain't got any love for

him or his mind.

What's Jimson ever done for this town?

Except send his miners in town to drink liquor and taste flesh pots.

Keep the town awake all night with drunken shenanigans.

Don't forget this town gets a lot of business from the gold mine, Miss

Business? Where?

The only business is in the saloon.

And it's the type of business a decent person should be ashamed of. You know

she's right, Orville.

There are a lot of decent people that don't want to settle down and start

farming hereabouts. And do you know why?

Because of the hell rising, his miners in this town.

I was counting on you, Ben. But you, you of all people, should know why we don't

want to fight for Jimson's gold.

Have you forgotten already that three of us miners dang near killed you a little

while back? All I'm trying to say is that I got more pride than to let a gang

thieves and outlaws come riding in here and take over.

Now, I want a show of hands on the men who are going to back me up when that

bunch of outlaws ride in.

Count me in, over.

Thank you, Charlie.

Who else?

Thank you, Mr. Stevenson.

I've got two volunteers.

A bartender and a drunk. Who's gonna be 83 next Thursday? Well, I agree with

him.

I think everybody in this town ought to keep their heads in their houses until

they're gone.

Well, like they say, I guess now's the time to divide the men from the boys.

it ain't like that, Orville.

You know it isn't. I got friends in that gang.

Yeah, well, I'm a mite more particular about the friends that I pick.

Now, what's to be?

Look, what can I do?

I like most of them people. I could no more shoot them than I could somebody

here in town.

Orville, you've got to understand my position.

No.

You've got only to understand the position of any man who takes a pride in

himself. A man who sees only one side of the law.

The side where he can get himself a wife and raise a family.

And not worry about no gang of outlaws violating that family or telling him

he's got to keep off his own town street where he's got the right to walk.

You asked that bear if somebody should write a letter to Flint.

Well, maybe you were right. Maybe somebody should tell Flint that the town

been warned.

You looking for a short way to get tucked under six feet of ground?

No, I'll tell him.

I'll tell them that you've got maybe 30 or 40 guns waiting to open fire on them

as soon as they set foot on the street. Too risky for you. Look, anybody that

stands against them is going to get killed. Now, do you want that, Orville?

All right, son.

All right.

But you play them cards real close to your vest, you hear?

You tell that daughter of yours I'll be coming back.

Zeb, I can't eat anymore. I want to talk.

Don't you realize it's been 20 years since I've seen you?

You know something? You haven't changed a bit.

Everything you want has to happen right now. Eat.

Now can we talk?

Any way of stopping you?

Why didn't you come back for me like you promised you would?

Oh, I tried, Beth.

You know, I went out trapping that summer.

I was going to come back with the biggest cache of furs any man ever

that fort.

Almost made it, too.

And I got a little careless and tangled with a grizzly.

I was hurt pretty bad. I got back to the fort next spring.

He was gone.

By then, I was in Washington, married to Captain Harrison.

That's what I heard.

I, uh, well, I figured you'd change your mind about me.

I was sad. I thought you were dead.

Or worse, I thought you didn't care anymore.

Well, you was wrong.

On both counts.

Robert Harrison was first in his class at West Point.

The army's youngest captain.

He had a brilliant career.

Their papa was dying.

He wanted to see me married.

Robert was posted out to the territories.

I guess you know about the rest.

I don't understand how you lived through that massacre, Beth.

Why, the word was that nobody was left alive to tell the story.

Well, I... The men were all killed.

I was taken prisoner.

I escaped a few months later.

Everyone thought I was dead.

I decided to leave it that way.

Papa died a few weeks after the wedding.

There wasn't any family to go back to.

I just decided I didn't want to spend the rest of my life as that poor army

widow who'd been a prisoner of the Indians.

So, then you made a new life for yourself.

None of my business.

Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of.

I teach school.

At the White River Settlement.

A schoolteacher?

Yes.

Did you ever marry again?

No.

You? Yeah.

To a Cherokee woman.

I lost her in a fire.

I'm sorry.

It was a long time ago.

I never stopped loving you, Zebulon.

I guess if it came to it.

I'd have to say the same thing, Beth.

I have something for Laura.

It's Mars.

She gave it to me and I've been saved.

I sure will miss you, Percy.

I'll miss you, too.

Oh, Aunt Molly, I can't believe it.

I'll be a married lady before nightfall.

I only wish Luke and Uncle Zev could have made it back here in time.

Yes, that would have been nice.

Oh, but you're a lovely -looking bride, dear.

Aunt Molly.

I'm going to miss everybody.

Oh, Laura.

Aunt Molly!

Laura! They're here.

Josh, neither Mrs. Taylor.

You must be Mrs. Culhane.

Josh has been telling me so much about you.

I'm so very grateful to be here for the wedding.

We're very pleased to have you, Mrs.

Taylor.

And this is my niece.

Ellen!

Jeremiah!

Jeremiah, please.

We are in public.

You're upsetting my bonnet. I'm going to be a man. Oh, nonsense, my dear. You

can be anything but ravishing no matter what.

Now, I want you to meet Laura, who's going to be your loving sister.

Mrs. Cohan.

Laura... Excuse me, please. I'll just be a moment.

That you were the only woman in the world that Jeremiah could love as you

him?

Yes.

You knew, didn't you?

I suspected.

How?

Jeremiah Taylor is a very magnetic and vital man with an eye for a pretty girl.

I just didn't think he could be in his middle thirties without finding someone

to give him what Maggie obviously cannot.

Then when Maggie told me he had a twenty -year -old wife... Why didn't you tell

me?

Well, first of all, I wasn't sure.

And secondly, would you have believed me feeling as you did about Jeremiah?

No.

You sent for on purpose, didn't you?

You knew this would happen?

No, dear, I didn't know what would happen.

But I did know that you deserved the chance to make a choice with your eyes

open.

You deserved to see if Jeremiah really loved this girl.

Why am I?

What am I going to do?

You're going to tell Jeremiah that you've made a mistake.

But I can't.

What am I going to say to him? I'm in a wedding dress and Ellen came all this

way.

I gave my promise.

Now, you listen to me, Laura.

When you agreed to marry Jeremiah, you were sincere.

You thought you loved him.

I do love him, Aunt Molly.

If you loved him with the same selflessness that Mormons have been

extend to each other,

Ellen wouldn't make any difference, would she?

I don't know.

I think you do, dear.

You have not been brought up to share the love of the man you marry.

I don't say that you couldn't someday.

But right now you're not prepared for that.

You must tell that to Jeremiah.

But Molly, I can't face him. I can't face any of them.

Couldn't you tell him for me?

No, child, I can't.

You have made a mistake.

Now you must find the courage to face the pain and embarrassment that that has

brought. Not just to yourself, but to others.

You must tell Jeremiah yourself.

Now, dry your eyes.

And off you go.

Little brother, looks like you've got a big sister getting after you again.

I guess it'll just have to wait.

I still love him, Aunt Molly.

How long will that last?

I don't know, dear.

What I do know is that there'll be another man one day. A man who'll walk

your house, see you covered in sweat, hear the squalling of babies, see the

boiling over on the stove, and still swear to heaven that you're the most

beautiful woman in the world.

You know...

I think the Mormons will give up polygamy one day.

Why?

Because it's wrong?

No, dear.

Because it makes too fierce a demand upon the human heart.

Hello?

Luke McCann, I'm coming in.

See, I was expected.

So, you decided to warn the town that we were coming in.

Colonel, there'll be a lot of men waiting for you.

That's why I came back to warn you not to move against Jimson's break.

A lot of men.

We have scouted that town.

People are upset with the miners for tearing the place apart every payday.

Sheriff will be lucky to find half a dozen sound men backing him against us.

You're a smart man, Colonel.

Are you willing to risk everything to move against a town that is waiting for

you? No.

I'm afraid that we will have to change our plans.

Hitting the gold on route from the mine.

That's not going to work either.

No, it won't.

There's no way to ambush a goal between the mine and Jimson Break. That's why we

decided to hit the town in the first place.

Then you lose all the way around.

Not quite, Luke.

Your friend the sheriff has presented us with another alternative.

My pa's sticking Joe for life, you fathead.

This young one, he reminds me of my own little chamaco.

Just some good old horse trading, Luke.

Now, the sheriff's son is a whole card you can't beat, right?

You know, Colonel, when you told me about how you operated, you never

anything about using children.

Now, you forced me into this position, Luke.

Now, you make no mistake, my strong -minded friend.

You are going to do exactly as you are told or else.

He wouldn't gamble us a bluff, I hope.

No, I sure wouldn't call it.

Good.

Hasn't lost any of his level -headedness, I'd say.

Now, you study this.

A lot is going to depend on your total compliance, and I don't mean just that

$100 ,000 in gold.

Now, this is the route that Orville Gantman, you know, in that note he sent

with his son, suggesting...

that the gold take the Butte Canyon route, cross through, and then go on

Rock Creek stage stop for shipment.

I'll take a guess.

You want me to take Orville's note up to that mine, then you'll be waiting in

Butte Canyon for an ambush.

That's right.

And you will be appearing, carrying a note in the sheriff's own handwriting.

The boy goes free.

The moment that gold gets in the canyon.

No. He goes free the minute I see that gold.

I have your word.

That the moment you see the gold in your ambush, that boy will go free.

My word.

I'll tell you something, I've seen a skinned antelope that wasn't as bare as

are there, gal.

Don't you shame yourself carrying on like that?

Nope.

You know, they got a name for loose women like you.

Really?

Why don't you come in here and tell me what it is?

Don't tempt me.

I'd like to spend another month up here, Beth. But we got things we gotta do.

What things?

I'm gonna get you to a doctor and find out about those headaches you've been

having. Now, come on out of that water.

Oh, Deb, I don't need a doctor.

This has been medicine enough for me.

To tell you one thing, it doesn't seem like 20 years.

More like last spring.

Beth.

Beth.

Deb, I wish you wouldn't be so stubborn.

I'm getting you to a doctor, gal, and that's all there is to it. But I only

fainted. It was just a reaction to those men and to finding you.

I know, I know, but you're going to Three Rivers to see a doctor. I don't

anyone to know who I am, you know.

I'm going under the name of Elizabeth Smith, please.

Well, that's perfectly all right with me.

As long as we see the doctor.

I'm all right. I'm all right.

Well, I know you're all right.

I'm just going to see what the doctor's got to say.

What about seeing double?

Only when I'm angry or don't get my own way.

Well, you didn't lose your sense of humor anyway.

Didn't I?

You're telling me I have to remain in bed for a week and won't be able to ride

horse for a month.

I'll also tell you, young lady, that concussions, and you've definitely had

are strange affairs.

Doctor, you can do me a favor.

Don't discuss your decision about my riding with Mr. McKeon.

Favor refused.

I don't help people kill themselves.

There's something I must do.

Someplace you have to get to?

Yes, and it's very important.

Of course, it's your business when you decide to ride a horse.

But before you throw a saddle on him, you remind yourself you're gambling your

life against that important trip you want to make.

If you like picking berries, Laura, you're just going to have to go by

By myself?

Do you know how long it would take to fill these two baskets?

We'll need at least this much for a cobbler.

So, fill one basket and I won't have any cobbler.

What is the matter with you?

Lazing around this whole week.

I'm not lazing around.

I just don't feel good.

Not that again.

This whole week, every time there's a chore to be done... Oh, give me that.

You're probably just picking bears to get out of doing the wash yourself.

I finished the wash, Smarty.

Remember? Back in Virginia when she was little.

She got stung by a bee and got real sick.

Josh, get the vinegar. Lots of it.

Jessie.

Were you stung too, child?

Maybe once or twice. Beast things don't bother me.

It was all my fault.

She didn't want to pick berries.

Laura, get sheets and rip them up for rags.

I made her come with me. She wasn't even feeling well.

Get the sheets, Laura.

I said she was lazy. I was so mean to her. Do as you're told.

Sheets and rip them up.

It hurts, Aunt Molly.

It hurts.

Josh.

When Jessie was bitten in Virginia, did she have a doctor?

I was too young to remember Aunt Molly.

But I think so.

Well, Laura may remember.

Ask her. See if she can recall what the doctor said about her.

There now, baby.

Laura?

Oh, Jesse. Hey.

Well, we got to help Aunt Molly.

Josh. She didn't feel good. You stop that.

Aunt Molly wants to know if Jesse had a doctor when she got stung by that bee.

Did the doctor say anything at the time? Give any reason why she became so ill?

The doctor said that bee stings are poison to Jesse.

And she only got stung once or twice that time.

Not dozens like now.

And maybe... Maybe she could even die.

Josh did have a long ride, Laura.

There he is.

Where's the doctor?

Where is he? He's not coming, Laura. Oh, he's got to come.

Where is he, Josh?

He's tending to a woman in Creevey who's in labor.

He's afraid it's going to be a breech bird because she's only 18 and this is

first child.

You rode all the way to Creavy?

I had to. That's where the doctor was.

Well, when is he going to be here, Josh?

He doesn't know.

Josh, did he say anything, give any estimation as to when he's likely to

He hopes he can maybe get over here tomorrow night.

Here.

Laudanum. He said to give four, maybe five drops to Jessie whenever she's in

pain. I'll give her some right now.

She'll be all right, Laura.

I'm so scared for Jesse.

She's gonna be all right.

Is that McCann?

The same.

Clay Logan, Deputy Marshal. I do.

Heard a lot about you.

Nothing you can prove, I hope.

I wouldn't try.

How about having one with me?

Wouldn't turn you down.

Harry, bring me a bottle.

That lady you got Doc looking after up at the hotel.

What happened to her?

Some hunters got a hold of her.

Where are they?

Well, there's two of them in the ground. The third one I couldn't find.

Where's she hail from?

I think she said somewhere around the White River country or something.

And where they got a hold of her?

Well, I didn't ask her that. I hate to keep reminding her what she went

Well, it's not important. It's just that the circuit judge has been kicking up a

lot of fuss about the killings in this territory.

Likes to ask a lot of questions and see bodies.

Well,

if he wants to find those bodies, he's going to have a long ride and a lot of

digging.

Well, I hope it won't put you out to hang around a couple of days.

He'll be in the first of the week, and it'd look good for me if he was...

Holding a hearing instead of me telling him a second -hand story.

I reckon my horse could use a few days of pasture.

Here's to you, Zach.

You know, Beth, I kind of had a feeling that Lady of the Mountain Lakes

disappeared.

I'm sorry.

Back in civilization, it is different.

When we were up in the mountains, if we were the only two people in the world,

nothing could touch us.

Now, back in town, I... Oh, Zeb.

If only you'd come back to the fort that year.

Or if I'd had more faith and waited.

Guess our lives would sure have been different, wouldn't they?

Funny how things work out, isn't it?

You're a very famous man now, and people know all about you and what you do, and

I'm just a schoolteacher who doesn't even have a name to call her own.

Well, that's what bothers me, Beth. You know all about me, but I don't know

anything that's happened to you in the last 20 years.

Well, nothing very interesting, except what I told you.

I've been leading a very quiet life as a schoolteacher.

Was that all down by the White River?

My being a schoolteacher surprises you?

No, it's the White River.

See, those men that took you, they were hunters.

I can't understand what they were doing in the White River country. It was

hunted out years ago.

I can't help you there.

I think the Marshal has the same problem.

What do you mean?

Well, I gave him my written statement on where those men took me.

He doesn't believe me

Beth, are you in some kind of

trouble?

Anything I can help you with?

No, of course not

Town's got quite a romance going on here.

Yep.

Sounds like you don't approve.

Doc, I don't give a hang one way or another about any romance.

That lady's story about being abducted by high cutters in the White River

Valley, that bothers me, Doc. And she ain't going to sell it to the judge when

he gets here.

You mean it's not the truth?

No, it ain't, Doc.

I got a telegraph from the marshal's office in Johnson City. And the marshal

says there's no report on any school teacher being abducted in the White

Valley. Well, that woman had been abused.

And McCann said he had to kill two men in order to free her.

I don't have any answers, Doc.

But she lied about being abducted.

And maybe McCann's not giving us the real reason he killed those two men.

I've heard a lot about McCann, Carson, Joe Walker.

They got to code those mountain men. Don't lie and don't quit.

That's the way it goes, I think.

Yeah, I know, Doc.

They got their own personal kind of justice. Has no relationship with what

law calls due process.

No relationship at all.

You did not.

The first time I ever saw you was at Bentford, and I promptly set my cap for

you.

First time I ever laid eyes on you, I thought you were the prettiest thing I'd

ever seen.

That's understandable.

You've been living for five months up in the mountains with bears.

You didn't say you thought I was pretty, though. Not for a long time.

I thought you were never going to do anything but hold my hand.

Well, I was scared of you.

Scared? I'll tell you something. I've never been so scared in my life as when

was trying to work up nerve to kiss you.

I've thought about it a thousand times.

The things... You know, I'll never understand how Papa didn't catch on to

was going on.

Well, I think he caught on. He was always coming up to me hinting about

I going back to the mountains.

I had a hard time making up excuses.

I like the time you put a splint on your leg and hobbled around for a month

pretending you were too banged up to ride a horse.

Yeah, I remember.

Good time.

I bet.

And then you said you loved me.

Did you you know the answer to that Beth?

Seems everybody's in a hurry to leave town before the judge gets here.

Just thought I'd ride for an hour or two, Marshal.

Maybe a week or two, huh?

Get out of here.

Now, look, Miss Smith, or whatever your name is, I don't like calling a lady a

liar, so maybe it's just best you be quiet.

I'm holding you at the hotel as a material witness to a homicide until the

gets back here.

Homicide?

That's what we call a killing, Miss Smith.

It's going to be up to the judge to figure out whether or not that homicide

justified. Meaning, you or McCann, one of you, has been shading the truth more

than just a little bit about you being abducted.

Figuring on waiting for us in town, huh?

Couple things I can't figure.

I never saw you before.

Well, you see, Mr. Jimson, I'm sort of a sometimes deputy for Orville.

I guess times you were in town, I was away.

How come you're not wearing a badge?

He's a deputy, all right.

Old town's been talking about how he's sparking Orville's daughter.

I'll think it over.

Mr. Jensen, we don't have an awful lot of time.

Tommy's not back yet.

No?

Then there was a dang fool to let that boy go riding off like that with all

outlaws out there.

They wouldn't bother a little boy riding along the trails, would they? Maybe

not.

Tommy'll put me back here at nine o 'clock.

It's almost noon.

I figured the one thing that he'd hurry back before would be the prospects of

seeing a shootout.

You figure ten volunteers would be enough, Orville, hmm?

You did some fast mind -changing, huh, Ben?

No, no, you got that wrong.

You see, none of us wanted to get killed for Jimson or his gold.

But when we heard that you were heading out looking for your son, well, we

thought we'd be neighborly. Give you a hand, hmm?

I sure appreciate it, Ben.

The rest of you boys, too.

All right.

Have a good trip down, Judge?

Good enough, considering that stock's breaking stage there.

What do we got coming up?

Well, we got a light docket this time. That's good.

Number one, Big Nose Annie says you don't have the jurisdiction to close the

dam. I'm going to burn that old bitty's tail for that. Now, wait a minute.

What a way to skin a cat when she'll raise her license fee to $300 a month.

Well, she'll bust a gut when she hears that one.

By the way, we found another body in the river last week. An old prospector shot

in the head.

Another murder. That's five killings in less than three weeks. I tell you,

nobody's safe in this county anymore.

Judge, McCain's in town waiting for the hearing.

Oh.

Well, that's exactly the point that I was making.

Two men are killed by Zeb McCain.

Their two bodies are buried.

And nobody's to prove or disprove the motive.

Well, I got to thinking something was fishy.

You know, I don't get much of anywhere talking to that woman.

I'll get someplace with her.

In fact, I think we'll just question her statement this afternoon before we talk

to McKay.

I would say that would be correct, yes.

Traveling between various settlements, teaching school.

Well, teaching is my profession. I don't know why you insist on questioning

that. Well, you say that you were teaching school in the White River

those men abducted you. Is that not so?

I did not say that.

You sure did, ma 'am. I wrote it down in black and white.

What I said, and I will repeat, is I was teaching school in the settlements

along the White River. But when I was abducted, I was moving to another

settlement. Of course, that explains why nobody reported your disappearance.

No one would have any reason to notice my disappearance. I had said my goodbyes

in one settlement, and I was moving on to the next.

How many times are we going to go over this statement?

I've given it to Marshal Logan. It seems simple and to the point.

Oh, it is simple and to the point.

And it is a lot of words saying nothing.

Well, we might as well move on to Mr. Zeb McCann's statement.

Now, briefly, he states that...

While traveling in Kettle Meadows, he came across two hide skinners who were

holding you prisoner. Now, the third man that was involved in your abduction was

not present. Now, in attempting to free you, Mr. McCann was forced to kill those

two hide skinners. That's exactly the way it happened.

And then, of course, he brought you into town and your injuries were treated by

the doctor.

Yes. Had you known Mr. McCann prior to his freeing you from those two men?

Do you mean had I heard of him before?

No, my dear.

I ask if you had known him in the past, prior to your abduction.

I am not your dear.

Please tell me what difference it makes if I had known Mr. McCain before that

night. The difference, Miss Smith.

Oh, by the way, Elizabeth Smith is your real name, is it not?

Of course Elizabeth Smith is my real name.

Oh, and hitch your horse, Doctor.

Oh, no, leave him hitched. I still have to visit the Anderson farm tonight.

And she's been feverish since that time.

Almost immediately.

I've heard of cases where people had violent reaction to bee stings, but I've

never seen one before.

It's not the first time, I'm told.

She was stung by a bee about ten years back and was ill for a week. A week?

Well, in most cases, the pain and the swelling disappear after 36 hours.

Well, what I think we have here is a case of watching and waiting,

making the patient as comfortable as we can.

Now, I'll leave you the bottle of laudanum. I want you to give her... 20

every four hours if she's still in pain.

I'll come by tomorrow.

Good night.

Doc, is there anything else we can do for her?

No, nothing that I know of.

The laudanum will keep the pain to a minimum.

It'll also keep her asleep most of the time.

As for the wounds...

Vinegar, tea, baking soda. That's about all we can do.

Suppose the pain and swelling don't disappear.

Frankly, ma 'am, I know little more than what I've read about severe cases of

bee sting.

But where there's no improvement, where there's been massive swelling, shock,

rapid heartbeat, some cases have led to coma.

Are you saying she might die?

Let's hope for the best, shall we?

Good night, ma 'am.

Laura, this is not your fault.

There is no blame here.

Take your position.

I hope Hank Jimson shoots you.

Well, if he does, Tommy, a lot of people will be dying, including your friend

Luke McKim.

Know this fella?

Yeah, I believe he wants to have a peaceful conversation with you.

Morning, Miss Jensen.

I hope that we can come to a amiable agreement within the next 20 seconds or

of my men is certain to display no nervous trigger finger.

Up in these rocks are 12 rifles.

Two rifles pointed at each one of your men here.

Don't be uneasy back there.

Admiral of leadership qualities, Miss Jimson.

We all want the same thing. None of us wants any bloodshed.

Where's the boy, Colonel?

Later.

You tell your men to drop all weapons to the ground and dismount.

Do as he said.

Now, Mr. Jimson, I want you and your boys to start back up that road.

Just keep walking.

It'll be worth somebody's hair to even turn his head and look back.

Come on, let's go.

I never thought Luke could do it.

What the hell is that the gold you've been looking for Might be a little

toting any of it away, though. This ain't gold.

I'm afraid it is.

Unfortunately, it's been smelted in with pot iron.

That'd be your idea, I guess.

I'm told you're a man of your word, Colonel. He told me the moment you saw

gold, the boy could go free.

Well, here it is.

It's all right if I ride off with him now?

What other kind of trap you set for us, eh?

I didn't want to trap you.

I just didn't want anybody getting hurt during all this.

Looks like that's the way it turned out.

All right, Luke.

I guess it's what they call a checkmate.

Take him.

What are we going to do with that flag? We can't take it with us.

That is precisely the point. There ain't nothing we can do with it.

We could take it to Mexico.

Melt it down.

Pedro, use your head.

It's over 700 miles, the border.

With that load, we'd likely make 10 miles a day.

That'd be two and a half months with every lawman in the West coming at us.

wouldn't make 100 miles.

Leave it.

What a wuss.

We take what we can.

Mount up and get out.

Worthless to us. Get your horses.

Shoot him?

One shot anyways.

It'd be your paw on a poppy.

You tell your paw what happened. The gold's safe and to get his men back to

town.

Who are you?

I gotta see to something. Now, get.

Get out of here.

Right.

You heard the colonel.

Right out of here. I'm fast. Go.

Across the river.

And rest.

Under the shade of the trees.

Never know, do we?

I'll be coming after you.

You'd be expecting me. Take behind you.

You killed him, Luke.

Kurt, you're hurt real bad.

Let me take you back to town and help you.

You can't help for dying, man.

Now, you don't know that.

I'm gonna take you with me, Kurt.

I know how you felt about the Colonel.

I didn't want anybody hurt.

Both of us die, and that don't make much sense.

Calling me a liar, Judge?

No. I imagine that would be a very unhealthy act on my part, considering

fact that you just took on the whole U .S. Army up in the Dakotas. No, I was

just pointing out that Miss Smith's story is puzzling because there seems to

some difficulty in proving that she was from the White River area.

Well, I don't see that Miss Smith has to prove nothing here.

She's not on trial. She ain't been accused of anything.

Now, this is an official hearing into a double homicide, and the witnesses have

the same responsibility here that they have in a regular trial.

Now, for instance, your relationship with Miss Smith is open to question

or not you two were friends in the past.

I don't think it's none of your damn business about her and me being friends,

Judge, or where she came from, neither.

Your only business is to take down the facts of that killing the way I give

to you, about them men abusing her.

I don't think that you're lying to me.

I just think that you're refusing to be candid.

Now, maybe you're not laying out the whole truth because, well, maybe it has

something to do with the way those two men were killed.

The way they was killed was very simple. I killed one of them with my pistol and

the other one with my bowie knife. Nothing fancy about that.

You see, what I mean is maybe those two men could have been brought down here to

face justice.

In other words, you could be in a spot of trouble if I found out that you had

taken it upon yourself to decide those two men deserved killing.

But you're right on the mark there, Judge. Them two deserve killing, all

but that ain't the reason I killed them.

I killed them two weasels because I'd have been planted in the ground up there

if I hadn't. I am suspending this proceeding until tomorrow, at which time

will accompany the Marshal and sufficient deputies up to the burial

Kettle Meadows to determine the cause of death of those two men.

Cause of death, just exactly like I told you, Judge.

Now, I just came off a case where a trapper claimed that he had to kill a

who attempted to ambush him for his furs.

Upon going up to the gravesite and exhuming the body, we discovered that

-called ambusher had been shot in the back three times.

Now, this hearing will continue after the marshal and his party return from

Kettle Meadows.

You mean like that judge there is bucking for governor, Logan?

What about you? Are you going for assistant governor or something?

Zeb, I believed you and Miss Smith's story the first time out.

Except yesterday morning I found Miss Smith down at the stable all set to ride

out.

Ride out?

I was planning to return within the hour.

She says.

leaving, aren't you?

Marshall was right.

You were trying to steal that horse.

No, of course not. He was mistaken, that's all. I was only...

You know that fellow down there?

No.

He looked like one of them might have been out on the prairie when him hide

skinners.

Oh, no. I would have recognized him then.

I think we need a little more wine. I'll be back.

for a fella who might have been through here.

A red beard. Looks like he might have been a hide skinner. You could smell him

block away.

You sure described him all right.

His name's Ned Growler.

Where'd he go?

Don't rightly know.

Said he had to collect some money for some hides he brought in.

Told me to shoo his horse right off.

You think he'll be heading out then?

Yeah, unless he takes up with some gal I got at Annie's place, as he sometimes

does.

I don't think he's gonna be thinking much about Annie tonight.

Mister, would you please do me a favor?

If you, uh, see that McCann, would you please give him this note? It's

important.

How long you been chewing my animal?

Another half hour, maybe, Mr. Growler. Get me out of here in ten minutes.

I got important business.

Important business where?

Who are you?

What are you doing around this town?

Ain't nobody's business but mine.

How come you're such a hurry to leave?

So you had a hand in all that woman went through, did you?

What woman?

I know what you're talking about.

Let's see if I can get the truth out of you. Now, I'm going to start with my

polite method.

God, you're crazy.

You had to do with that woman, didn't you?

Oh, God, please, God, no.

Hey, God, mister, I'm closer to the devil. Now, don't you make no mistake

that. Oh, I didn't do it.

Didn't do it.

Didn't. Didn't do what?

Didn't have her.

Didn't have a chance to.

Tell it all.

Didn't even know they had a gal until I got to the fork.

You mean by the north fork?

Your story will make no sense, mister.

That woman was took from the White River Valley.

Who told you that?

You mean you and them partners of yours didn't come from the White River Valley?

Why'd we be so far south?

Woman lives up by the North Pass, where Crater and Horn said they'd catched her.

Right near the cabin where she lives.

I can see that your Zeb McCann seems to be a truthful and honorable man.

But I swear, Clay, that woman, well, that nicely rounded form does not have

honest bone in her body. Yeah, if he is being 100 % truthful while she's pulling

the proverbial wool over his eyes.

Well, I don't know about that, sir. I think McCann'd be a pretty hard man to

fool.

Marshal, anything that smells like a woman.

can turn a man's head 16 ways, he'll end up thanking her for not chopping it

off.

Now, Judge, that's probably the reason I never got married.

Yeah, a woman is the greatest piece of equipment ever put on this man's earth.

I'll go along with that, too, sometimes.

Sometimes? Man don't quibble with the joys of life. There is nothing that

compares with the comforts that a woman offers.

Oh, unless, of course, it's hanging up a horse seat and watching his feet

jiggle.

I'll tell it again.

And the dissembling that I've sensed seems to come from that woman trying to

conceal where she comes from, which, as you have pointed out, has absolutely

nothing to do with the hearing and the killing of those two weasels, as you so

aptly named them.

Well, Judge, now I'll tell you what I'm going to do. Just put your mind at ease.

I'll ride back on up there to Kettle Meadows and help dig up them two fellas.

Now, that won't be necessary, because this case is closed.

Except she's got a horse -thieving charge against her, Judge. Women don't

horses. They borrow them. Well, I think you're right about that, Judge.

I think I know Miss Smith well enough to know that she'll try to get that horse

back here to you just as soon as she can.

Say, what could be beyond the North Pass for a woman like that?

Nothing up there but two ice in trading posts, a settlement worth your life

trying to get into, and it's even more miserable living higher up.

Leaves a lot of questions unanswered, don't it?

Now, the only question about you not answered is whether we hang you or foul

the territorial prison with your lifelong presence.

You're Zeb McCann, ain't you?

Right. I got told to give you this.

Lady, give it to me.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Zeb, there's so much I can't explain to you.

I can only say I've always loved you, and I always will.

But I can't ever see you again.

Forgive me.

Elizabeth.

You're blaming yourself for what happened, but you shouldn't.

If I'd been smarter, maybe they wouldn't be dead.

I got a telegram for you, Luke.

From your family.

Your family, Luke? How'd they know you were here?

As soon as your pa said I could stay, I wrote and told him where I'd be.

Bad news, Luke?

My sister Jessie, she's... She's very sick.

Oh, Luke.

I'm sorry.

That means you're going to have to leave, aren't you?

Afraid so.

Will you come back?

I kind of guess that's up to your pa.

I ain't lived as long as I have, not no one I've licked.

You better come back, son.

Or there won't be no living with this child of mine.

Take care of yourself now.

I miss you.

Bye, sir.

Goodbye to Tommy for me.

Who's going to say goodbye to me?

Wondering if you might be able to help me with some information. My name's Ed

McCahan.

I'm, uh, looking for a woman might be up around these parts. Name Elizabeth

Smith.

She, uh, she's a schoolteacher. Might be teaching up there in the settlement

north of the path.

Now, mister, let me tell you something. I've been looking for this woman a long

time, and I aim to find her.

Now, if you got any information on her, I'd advise you to cough it up.

Don't make me get down off of this horse to get it out of you.

Up here, pilgrim.

Folks learn to mind their own business like I minded mine.

And we don't cotton to strangers.

Well, now I'm glad to see you can talk. We're making progress.

You know this woman I'm referring to?

Mister, you don't hear too good.

Said I mind my own business.

Bye, Gully.

You're going to make me get down off of this horse after all, ain't you?

Mister?

Up yonder.

Past the saddleback and across the meadow.

Well, now.

I might oblige to you for your politeness.

Good day to you.

Looking for a woman, Elizabeth Smith?

Beth's not back yet. She's delivering some books to the Swenson Post.

I see.

Your name?

McCahan. Zeb McCahan.

Yeah.

I've heard of you, Zeb McCahan.

I'm Beth's husband.

Yeah.

I've heard a lot about Zeb McCahan.