Original subtitles

[ theme music playing ]

♪♪

♪♪

He's had about enough, hasn't he?

Stay out of this, mister.

MAN: All right, break it up.

Come on, now. Get your horses and get along.

And you-- you get up and go home.

You're new here, huh?

I just rode in.

Well, it's a small town.

Couple hundred yards, and you'll be out of it.

Aren't you even interested in what the fight was about?

I know what it was about.

Three against one-- is that the usual odds?

And I can count.

I'm all right, cowboy.

I guess you didn't know you were helping the wrong side, huh?

Mister, I don't have a side.

I was just trying to even the odds a little.

Thanks.

I wonder if you could tell me where I could find a man named Frank Adams.

Adams?

Well, sure. Just go on out of town

till you come to a road coming in from the left.

Stay on it till you find a patch of land

that nobody in his right mind would try to farm.

That's the Adams place.

Thanks.

♪♪

Hi, son. Is this the Adams place?

Yes, sir.Is your pa around?

He's out back, but Ma's here.

Ma?

Ma?

What is it, Jamie?

What do you want?

There was, uh,

an advertisement in the Medicine Bow paper.

This is the Adams place?

Oh, about the... about the oats.

Yes, ma'am. That's right. I'm from Shiloh Ranch.

Jamie, run and get your pa.

Tell him somebody came about the advertisement.

Hurry!

Well, won't you come in?

Thank you, ma'am.

Have a seat.Thank you, ma'am.

Mister, you're the answer to...

Well, what I mean to say is,

we'll be very pleased to deal with you.

There's still the matter of the price, ma'am.Oh, it's all right.

I'm sure we can... you know.

Maybe I'd better wait till your husband gets here.

Oh. Surely.

He's out back.

But about the price,

I'm sure it'll be all right.

I've got some coffee on the stove. Would you like some?

Thank you.

How many bushels do you think you'll need?

Oh,

about a thousand.

Oh, I'm sure we have...[ door opens ]

This is my husband, Frank.

Mr. Adams, I'm pleased to meet you. I'm the foreman of the Shiloh Ranch.

Hi.He came about the oats.

I saw your advertisement in the Medicine Bow paper.

Well, that was my wife's idea.

I'm surprised you advertised so far away.

The people around here--MRS. ADAMS: We couldn't agree about a price.

Instead of taking what they offered,

we thought we'd try to do better.

Could I take a look at 'em?

Sure.

Jamie?

Jamie?

What is it, Pa?

Take this gentleman down to the barn, show him the oats.

Yes, sir.Lead the way, Jamie.

♪♪

Why didn't you go with him?

He can make up his own mind.

You don't want to sell to him, do you, Frank?

I didn't say that.

You'd rather we just packed up and left,

the way they want us to.

Maybe they're right. Maybe we're just beating

our heads against a stone wall trying to make a go or it here.

Nobody's going to run me out of here, Frank.

They're not running us out.

They made a fair offer for the land.

After they tried every other way.

If you don't care about yourself,

I should think you'd want to fight for Jamie

build a home for him where he can put down roots.

Look, I only said that maybe we chose too quickly.

This is the wrong place to make a start.

We took what we could get.

This time we're staying.

Like the others are going to do.

Maybe they are and maybe they aren't.

Sometimes when you make a mistake,

the best thing to do is to face up to it.

I don't want to hear any more talk like that...[ door opens ]

Now, I'm ready to make an offer.

Three hundred dollars for a thousand bushels of oats

delivered to the railway station.

That's my best offer.

Well, it's not that.

The fact is, we have a more...

a more general offer.

You mean, for more of your crop?

Not that either. An offer to--

Frank, we advertised to sell oats.

He's come a long way to buy them.

He's waiting for his answer.

You don't even want to consider--

He's waiting for his answer.

I'll start loading the wagon for you.

Well, fine, then. I'll go into town and reserve freight space.

Won't you have dinner with us? Can't offer you much, but...No, thanks.

Mr. Grainger, the owner of Shiloh,

has an old friend living out here somewhere.

I promised to look him up. Tom Hadley.

Hadley?Yeah, you know him?

He owns the land on two sides of us.

Wait.

It's all settled about the oats?

You'll buy from us? That's settled?

Mrs. Adams, it was your husband holding back, not me.

Frank, shake his hand on it.

There.

That's sure, now. That's settled.

It was settled before.

Well, thanks a lot. I'll see you later.

Frank,

Thank you.

It's what you wanted.

Now we can make it through to next summer.

It's sure to be better.

I'll put on dinner.

♪♪

Carl! What happened to you?

A couple of Hadley's men tried to convince me I ought to sell out.

Oh...What'd that fellow want?

A thousand bushels of oats

for enough money to get us through the year.

Are you staying, then?Yes!

But at the last meeting, Frank talked of giving in.

I told you we're staying.

Well, I'll pass the word. They'll be glad to hear it.

Will you help us get them ready for shipment?Sure.

I'll tell Frank.

You know, I-I...

I still can't figure how a sister of mine

could've married such a weakling as--I know.

You told me that before.

♪♪

♪♪

Are you Mr. Hadley?

He's inside. I'm his foreman.

Well, I'd like to see him.What about?

Tell him it's personal.MAN: What is it, Ed?

This fellow says--I'm John Grainger's foreman.

He asked me to stop by and see you.

Well, I'm glad to meet you. John and I are old friends.

So he told me.This is my foreman, Ed Stix.

We've met.Well, come in, come in.

Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet

John Grainger's foreman from Medicine Bow.

Fred Gorman.Grainger... Shiloh Ranch?

That's right.Harry Davis,

Ken Curtis and Bill Shaeffer.

Gentlemen.

We were just holding a council of war.

Oh, if I'm interrupting--No, no, not at all.

We could use another head.What brings you out this way?

I came to buy horse feed.

I thought you grew your own.

We usually do, but this year we got hit by rust.

Ruined most of the oat crop.

Oats?Who'd you come to see?

Fellow named Frank Adams. He advertised in the Medicine Bow paper.

Advertised? Now, that's real clever.

Looks like we underestimated them.

I'm afraid I don't understand.

I made them an offer to buy their place.

Land, buildings, water, the whole outfit.

But they've been stubborn, so...

We don't buy their produce. Anyone around here.

Boycott, you mean, huh?

We're not obliged to buy from them, would you say?

They're not obliged to be starved out, either, would you say?

Look, you probably haven't talked to them--Yes, I have.

But you haven't gotten around to--I made the deal, Mr. Hadley.

I'm buying a thousand bushels.

You can't. You're a rancher like us.

You don't do that to your own people.

I've made the deal, Mr. Gorman. I've shaken hands on it.

But you're one of us. You go to those sodbusters and--

I said I've shaken hands on it.

Get in touch with Grainger. He'll set him straight.

I don't believe he will.Now, wait a minute.

I think this is just a matter of making things clear.

I'm sorry, Mr. Hadley. I guess I'd better be going. Goodbye, sir.

Gentlemen, I'll let you get back to your council of war.

Wait.

There's no need for this.

Why don't you stay and eat with us?

Well, thanks, but I've got some arrangements to make.

It's a long ride back to town,

and I'd like a chance to explain things a little more to you.

Mr. Hadley, I think I've got the general idea.

[ door opens, shuts ]

John Grainger's foreman.

Your fine friend.

No friends like old friends, eh, Tom?

You weren't much help, Fred.Maybe not.

I ain't like you.

You explain, you talk at things,

but things keep going along.

We're getting to where talk don't help.

We've got to just stop them.

♪♪

[ whinnies ]

Get his boots off. Morg, you get his horse.

All right, let's get back to town.

♪♪

Hello, Joe.

Good morning.Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?

I'd like to buy a pair of boots.

Oh?

That surprise you?

I'm sorry. I'm taking inventory.

You're what?

I'm closed. You'll have to try somewhere else.

Look, mister, somewhere in this store there's a pair of boots

that's just my size.

Now, are you gonna find 'em,

or am I gonna have to find 'em myself?

♪♪

Good afternoon.Afternoon.

Westbound train stopping through here tomorrow?

Yes, sir. Train number 17 stops through at 12:06.

Sell you a ticket?No, thanks.

I'd like to reserve freight space for half a carload of bagged oats.

Sorry. No space.

Oh, well, then, what about the next day?

Afraid not.

I see. Uh,

let's see, you're the telegraph operator too, aren't you?

Yes, sir.

Then I'd like to send a telegram.

Where to?

Uh, superintendent,

central freight office,

Wyoming and Great Plains Railway.

Sir, your agent in Winton

informs me that there is no freight space

available on train number 17 on...

Let's see. We'd better make that "asserts."

Your agent in Winton asserts

that there is no freight space av...

I guess we better put your name in too, don't you figure?

Uh, that there is no space available on...

[ chuckles ] Say, you're not writing this down, are you?

All right."All right" what?

You got your space.

I'll have my freight here by 11:30 tomorrow morning.

I'll do my own loading.

Nice doing business with you.

♪♪

You all right, Frank?

Yes.

We could load the rest tomorrow.

You wanted it sold. I want it ready for him.

Suppose... Hadley talked him out of it?

All I know is, it'll be ready for him.

We're liable to come out a little short of what we promised,

Well?

There's still some uncut left up around the fences.

Ain't worth cutting, That's miserable stuff.

That's all we got. I'll get the scythe.

He ain't gonna know the difference if we turn up a little bit short.

He's paying for a thousand bushels. He's gonna get a thousand.

♪♪

Oh, you're back!

I was beginning to worry.

Well, I had a few delays.

What, with your going to visit Hadley, I thought

he might try to, you know...

I wish you'd told me exactly how things stood between you and Hadley.

It might have saved me a certain amount of inconvenience.

Suppose I had told you. You're a rancher like him.

Do you think you'd have come back to us?

Oh, I know I wasn't... outright with you.

Forgive me.

We're fighting for our lives.

I know that now, Mrs. Adams.

Howdy.Howdy.

You know my brother-in-law?

We met in town this morning.

We, uh, can't quite make it up to the full amount that you wanted.

Carl's gonna help me cut what's left.

"What's left." We'll get about four kernels of grain off each stalk.

It's been a bad year. Next year.

I always try and keep my bargains.

STIX: Adams?

What do you want?

I came by to tell you you left a hole in your fence.

No hole in my fence.

Well, one was there, and some of Mr. Hadley's cattle come through.

Oh, uh, I'm afraid

they tramped down some of your crop.

You made the hole, you mean. You drove them through.

That's far enough.

Then get your cattle back out and mend the fence.

I've just got two men with me.

All we can do to head them back.

You'll have to mend your own fence.

Why didn't you stand up to him, Pa?

Nothing to stand up about. He didn't have to come and tell us.

I doubt if they caused you much loss.

Most of it's already been cut, you said.

You've already loaded most of what--CARL: That ain't the point.

It's them cutting Frank's fence.Let's find out

before we get too worked up.

What's it take to get you fighting mad?

Let's finish our work. We'll have a look.

♪♪

Drove them right through.

You see any reason to think otherwise?

Looks like cattle broke it down, all right.

Whether they were driven through or not is pretty hard to say.

Not for me.Where are you going?

I'm gonna bring 'em back to mend our fence.

How are you gonna do that? With a gun?

If I have to.

Mr. Ryan, I went to considerable trouble

to get freight space on that train tomorrow.

You start a shooting war right now,

that train's liable to pull out empty.

He's right.Gee, Pa!

Come on, son. Help me mend the fence.

You'd think a man would be ashamed to act like a worm in front of his own son.

See you tomorrow.Yeah.

♪♪

The clerk told me you'd taken a room for the night.

I was hoping that you wouldn't decide

to stay out at the Adams place instead.

What was it you wanted to see me about?

I heard you got roughed up on your way back from my ranch.

I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry it happened.

If I find out who did it, I'll make them even sorrier.

So will I.

That was meant to be an apology. What more do you want?

You might answer a question.What is it?

Your cattle tore down Adams's fence and trampled his land.

Was that without your knowledge too?First I've heard of it.

Check with your foreman. He's out there now, rounding up your cattle.

What about the fence?He said that was their problem.

Well, he was wrong. If our cattle knocked that fence down,

we'll string it back up. You have my word on that.

Well, I guess it's my turn to apologize.

Now that I've established a little credit,

maybe you'd like to hear our side of it.

I think I would.Over a drink at the ranch?

You got a deal.

♪♪

You arrived here, and you saw

that the Adams are struggling and poor,

and that Frank Adams is a decent, honest man,

and that I've been trying to buy him out,

even crowd him out, in any legal way that I could.

But what you didn't bother to learn is that,

while Frank Adams is struggling to make a farm

on land that can't support it,

he stands a very good chance to ruin me.

You haven't run into this yet at Shiloh,

but it'll come.

When it does, you'll have a better understanding of our problems here.

You see, Adams has fenced off a waterhole.

The nearest other one is about six miles away.

He has the right, you could say. It's his.

The government gave it to him.

But I have a hard time explaining that to my cattle.

I sold off 90 head last year because I couldn't keep them watered.

I can lose 40 or 50 more every winter against that fence he put up.

Couple of more years, I can be busted.

You want to hire a middle-aged cowhand?

If you don't mind my asking,

how much did you offer Adams for their place?

Three thousand dollars. Does that seem reasonable to you?

Mm-hmm. Why didn't he take it?

You tell me why.

They can't make a go of it there.

They just barely raised their last crop.

Bad summer, they told me.

It was an ordinary summer. Wait till they get a real bad one.

Besides, they're destroying all the natural grass cover.

They'd have called it quits if you hadn't arrived.

They'd have taken my offer, packed up, and moved on.

Now, I'm not the kind of man that feels right to plead,

but will you call that deal off?

I can't do that. I gave my word.

I've been trying to hold things back on both sides.

Moderation, I've said. Reason.

Pretty soon I'll have no one to talk to but myself.

Well,

I can't get out of my bargain if they want to hold me to it,

but I can talk to them about reconsidering your offer.

They won't. I've talked till I'm blue in the face.

Maybe the others are right:

them or us.

If they won't go, maybe they need to be driven.

I'm sure you don't mean that.

Are you?

Wait till you're a middle-aged man with your life's work going to ruin.

Then see how sure you are of anything.

♪♪

♪♪

[ knock at door ]

Come in! You're just in time!

Evening.Howdy.

We're having sort of a celebration.

Here. Sit down.

I just stopped by to--

It's all sacked and ready to go.

I won't start hauling till sunup.

Won't take more than eight or nine trips.That's fine--

I bought this two years ago.

[ laughs ] It's just ordinary,

but I paid fifty cents for it.

I know it's a sin to spend money on something useless,

but I saw it, and I just bought it.

And I guess I was just saving it for a night like this.

Mr. Adams, I had a long talk with Hadley--

About the fence? He sent his men over to fix it.

Well, it sure took him a long time.

When I was coming back from the barn just a little while ago,

I saw them heading back to Hadley's.

It was good of you to get them to do that for us.

What I meant was--You've done everything for us.

You bought our crop when nobody else would,

you've got us through this year, gave us a start on the next.

We get to stay here because of you.

CARL: I'll drink to that.

Big men.

Big ranchers with their smooth talk.

They didn't fool him and they didn't scare him.

He found the right side and he took it. He took our part.

I came by to tell you I think you ought to sell out.

What?I think it's the best way for everyone.

For Hadley.For you too. I don't think you can make out here.

Frank, he's going back on us.

On his bargain.He didn't say that.

I apologize, mister, for what I said.

You're no different than the rest of the ranchers.

Hadley swung you right back in line.

You're breaking a promise to us.

No, I made a bargain with you,

and I told Hadley I wouldn't break it.

It's just that about some things I think Hadley's right.

I don't think you can make a go of it here.

We are!

You're destroying yourselves and the land and Hadley too.

This land's only good for one thing: grazing cattle.

Listen to the rancher.

This is our land. The government gave it to us.

But Hadley needs the use of it. He depends on it.

Are we trying to get Hadley's land?

It amounts to the same thing.

You made a bargain with us. Are you gonna keep it?

Yes.

Three hundred dollars for a thousand bushels of oats.

What about this?

Suppose I pay you the money as I agreed,

and then you reconsider the offer Hadley made?

MRS. ADAMS: Three hundred dollars for a thousand bushels of oats.

Is that right? Your word?

I just told you.Well, the oats are in the wagon.

You can take them right now if you want to.

That's our side of the bargain.

All I have to know is, are you keeping yours?

Are you keeping your word?

Have you got pen and ink?

Marie, look. I think what he's trying to say--Frank...

All right. He delivered. That's enough.

I've tried not to take sides in this. You know that.

You know that if I ask you to talk to Hadley--

No.

No, he's not going to anybody hat in hand.

Not ever again in his life.

Our life.

Mister,

for the first time in our lives, we own something.

We're on our own land, making our own life.

We're not beholden to anybody.

Have you any idea what that's worth?

I know how much you value your independence, Mrs. Adams.

Just talk to Hadley. That seems reasonable enough.

No. No, tell him you won't, Frank.

Tell him clear.

Tell him.

No, I won't talk to Hadley.

I know you mean well to us,

as we do towards you.

Please, have some wine with us.

Am I still welcome?Oh, you are. Please.

Well, this is sort of a Thanksgiving for us,

for everything we've won.

The wagon!No.

It's too late.

♪♪

They did it.

Tried to buy you out. Tried to squeeze you out.

Finally they burned you out.You've got no proof.

CARL: How much more proof do you need,

Hadley's men working on a fence less than a mile away?

FRANK: They were here this afternoon, but that doesn't mean that--

I asked you before how much you'd take. Now I know.

You'd take anything they hand out.

Just roll over and play dead.

♪♪

A thousand bushels of oats,

every last thing you own in the world,

and you watch them go up in smoke without--

I appreciate all the help you've given us. Now I think you'd better leave.

You're right. I'd better.

I've been poking around out there. Not much to find, though.

Are you looking for a burnt match?I found a burned lantern.

I'm not claiming that's the answer either.

By the way, you said you walked out back last night.

Did you by any chance take the barn lantern with you?

Well, sure. And hung it up and put it out.

You're sure of that?Rancher, I don't need you.

I say I put that lantern out, I put it out.

You are careless sometimes, Carl.

I don't need you either.

Hadley set that fire-- Hadley's people.

And my people are gonna make it up to him.Your people?

We ain't all built like him, rancher. Some of us fight back.

Even if you're wrong?

You did me a favor once. I owe you for that.

But I've got to tell you you've just about used that favor up.

Go find your own side. I've got mine.

It's my barn, Carl. It's not your fight.

It's all of our fight. If we let them get away with this, they'll do it to everybody.

I-I'm sorry. There's no reason that you--

THE VIRGINIAN: I'm sorry too, Mr. Adams.

I guess the best thing I can do is settle up and leave.

"Settle up"?

Well, I wrote you a bank draft last night.

Oh.

I clean forgot.

The, uh, bank draft, Marie.

For the oats.

Well, the deal was, delivery to the station.

♪♪

I'll give it to him.

I don't suppose there's anything more keeping you.

But she doesn't mean that the way it sounds.

Well...One last favor.

You're riding that direction anyhow.

You mind if I ride along with you as far as Hadley's?

What?

I'm asking him if he'll let me ride along to Hadley's with him.

No!

Look, if he wants the land, we've got to sell. There's no other way left.

Frank, I'm not going to crawl to Hadley.

You won't have to. I'm the one crawling.

How can you do that after they burned us out?

I doubt that they did.

But there's no way now of knowing.

Doesn't matter now how it happened.

Look, we're finished here. We've got to accept it.

You're good at that-- accept failure.

And you'll go and set up another place

and fail again.

Carl's right about you.

You never fight. You just run.

I try and do what it makes sense to do.

If you go to Hadley, I won't be here when you get back.

There is no choice, Marie.

Stubbornness and anger don't change the fact.

The fact is, we have to take his offer.

I mean it, Frank.

♪♪

If you're, uh, ready, I'll ride along with you.

[ hoof beats recede ]

Well, good luck.

Thanks.

I'm sorry about the way things worked out.

Wasn't your fault.

I guess people are just the way they are.

Do the best you can, and sometimes things just don't work out.

That's kind of the story of my life.

I say it's time we stand up together,

time we show them what we're made of.

Oh, you can talk to a rancher all you want to about "my land,"

"my land," "my rights," "my family,"

but he just runs right over you, like Hadley did to Frank.

Now, I say we do the same thing to him. We've got the men, the guns.

I'm beginning to believe you're right.

I know I'm right. One by one-- that's the way they want us.

They tear out that man's fence, trample this man's crops.

One by one, they crowd us out,

scare us out and burn us out.

Are you just gonna sit around and wait your turn?

What about the sheriff? Shouldn't we get him?

Two of Hadley's men beat me up on the street while he stood and watched.

You think he's gonna protect your crop?

Now, I say we do it the same way they did it:

one at a time, and we start with Hadley.

I'm with you.Spread the word.

Tell 'em we're in this together-- every man-jack of us.

Meet back here in an hour.

♪♪

I'm sorry, Mr. Adams, but you're a little late,

I made that offer quite a while ago,

and you turned it down.

Things have changed since then.

Well, things have changed with me too.

You ignored that offer before, and everything

that I tried to tell you along with it.

I've had two years of losing money and cattle

and watching you ruin that land.

I've had to put up with your brother-in-law stirring up trouble

among my fellow ranchers.

I've had to apologize and explain and try to keep this trouble in hand.

I've been accused of tearing down your fence,

and when I send my men to fix it, they're accused

of setting fire to your barn.

And now at last you discover that I was right to start with.

That you can't make out with the land.

And you expect me to pay you for it.

Well, I wouldn't expect you to very much, Mr. Hadley,

but I still do hold title to that land.

You're moving out because you have to move.

You take your title with you, the land stays here.

Yesterday you told the man I was selling my oats to

that you were still interested.

That was yesterday It was a business offer.

Today it would be charity,

and I don't feel that charitable.

I won't take any more of your time.

♪♪

♪♪

Yeah?That freight space-- you can cancel it.

Well, that sure bails me out, mister.

I had a feeling Ed Stix was gonna cut me up and use me for fish bait

when he found out about the space.

Tell me something. Just when did Ed Stix

talk to you about the freight space?

Just before you come in yesterday. Him and a couple of cowhands.

Sure glad you changed your mind.

So am I.

♪♪

Hey, you!

What do you think you're doing?

Let me go!Oh, no, you don't.

Now, let's just see what you were up to.

Gonna set fire to the barn, were you?

That's what you did to ours!

You come along with me, kid.

♪♪

That's a very serious crime, son.

That's what you did to ours.

My uncle said so.Well, your uncle's wrong.

He is not!

He ain't scared of you.

You'll see. He's gonna get even with you.

Come on, kid. We'll let the sheriff figure out what to do with you.

No, wait a minute.

What do you mean, he's going to get even with me?

You'll find out.

Where are the hands working today?

On the north range, up at Beaver Canyon.

That's a good four hours' ride.

Anybody left around here?A couple.

Get them.You think there's gonna be trouble?

I don't know, but if there is, I want to be ready for it.

Sit down, son.

Now, I want you to tell me exactly what your uncle said.

♪♪

He, uh,

withdrew the offer.

Well, that's what you wanted, isn't it-- to keep the land?

Jamie's gone.

What... What do you mean? Gone where?

He's run away.

Jamie? Why would he--Because he was ashamed of you.

I was going to take him with me.

I looked all over for him. I couldn't find him

Then I found this...

in his room.

"Dear Ma,

I'm sorry Pa is a coward.

Don't worry.

I'll get even.

You'll never see me again."

He ran away to get even with you.

Your own son.

Wait a minute.

"I will get even."

What makes you so sure that he meant me?

What do you mean?

Well, he heard Carl say that Hadley burned our barn.

He might've thought that he had to get even with Hadley.

Chuck, get upstairs and cover the back.

Burt, get the side. You,

you get to where you can cover the other side.

I could only round up three hands.

What are you gonna do with him?I don't know.

STIX: You let him go, he'll tell them there's only five of us here.

I'm afraid you're right.

I'm going to have to keep you here, son.

I hope nothing's going to happen,

but I can't take a chance.

I'll cover this side.

♪♪

Here comes your friend.

Let him in.

Mr. Hadley's in there.

I didn't come to see him this time.

I didn't want to go back to Medicine Bow without paying you what I owed you.

That's for one boot. Get up, and I'll pay you for the other one.

[ gun cocks ]Hold it, mister.

Get his gun.

What's going on?

A nice, peaceful little ranch you run here, isn't it?

I don't see anything peaceful about coming in here and hitting my foreman.

If you think we burned the Adams' barn--

I don't know whether you did or not, but I told you yesterday

I'd like to find the man who bushwhacked me.

If he did that, he went against orders.

But right now we've got a bigger problem on our hands.

This boy tells me that his uncle's out to get revenge.

If the rest of the sodbusters feel the same way,

then we've got a fight on our hands.

Is that right, Jamie?

I believe him.

We caught him trying to burn down our barn.

Well, I know his uncle.

He's pretty much of a hothead, but maybe I can talk sense to him.

Come on, Jamie.

I'm sorry. The boy stays.

Well, I guess I had you pegged wrong.

I've got four men.

The rest are up on the north range.

If this boy's uncle brings the rest of those sodbusters,

I'll need every advantage I can get.

[ hoof beats approaching ]

[ gunshots continue ]

Cover from the living room. Make it sound big.

Upstairs.

Let's get down in here, son.

[ gunshots ]

Looks like they're expecting us.

We'll go around to the side.

Touch off the barn first and then get the main house.

If you want to help, go out there and tell them

we've got Frank Adams' boy here.

I'll tell them.

You men listen to me!

That's far enough!

They've got Jamie Adams in there.

If you want any harm to come to him, you'd better get on home.

What kind of a trick you trying to pull?

It's no trick. He's in there.

Go back in there and tell them they've got two minutes to let him go.

They won't do it.

Use your head, Carl.

Go on home and take the rest of the men with you.

Take this with you, rancher!

You go in there and tell 'em what I said!

He's scared, or he wouldn't be trying a stunt like that.

Suppose he's telling the truth?

Doesn't matter. We're calling the shots now.

Well, you heard 'em.What kind of men are they?

I guess they're wondering the same thing about you.

I didn't start this. If they don't care enough

for the boy's safety to call it off, that's on their conscience.

♪♪

♪♪

Ray, you go around the side, pile up some hay against the outbuildings,

and get 'em started.

The rest of you spread out in a skirmish line.

♪♪

You want to get Marie shot?

Where's Jamie? Have you seen him?

Your rancher friend said he was up at Hadley's.

But don't worry. We'll get him back. They wouldn't dare hurt him.

What do you mean?We're gonna burn 'em out.

Anybody lays a finger on Jamie, he knows what'll happen.

Carl, no!I know what I'm doing.

You think I want anything to happen to Jamie?

We've come this far. We can't run now. We got to go through with it.

Carl, listen--We'll never get a better chance.

Most of their men are out on the range.

If we let them bluff now, they'll burn us out before the night's over.

I tell you--Shut up, Carl.

You men hold your fire. I'm going in to get Jamie.

Frank, wait. They'll shoot you.

♪♪

I warned him.Hold it, Ed.

You gonna let him walk right up to the front door?

He doesn't have a gun on him.

They tell me you got my boy up here.

I've come to fetch him.

You had us worried, Jamie.

We thought he might be up to some mischief here.

He tried.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Hadley.

I guess he had things kind of mixed up.

I'll straighten him out when I get him home.

Come on, Jamie.

Nice try, sodbuster,

but you're staying here-- both of you.

You think that's gonna keep my brother-in-law from doing what he came here to do?

You're his brother-in-law. Jamie's his nephew.

I figure that means something.

Well, you don't know Carl.

See, he thinks he's found his vocation out there.

He's decided he's a leader,

though he don't care much for anyone else.

You mean they'd still try to burn us out with you and the boy here?

Carl would. He's out there right now

trying to build a bonfire under the rest of them.

Let me and Jamie go,

and I'll un-build it.

What makes you think they'll listen to you?

I guess you'll have to leave that to me.

Unless you want to stay here and fight it out.

Frankly, I don't think you have much of a chance.

First they'll fire your barn, then they'll set the house afire.

When you come running out...

I don't think you have much choice, Mr. Hadley.

STIX: Supposing he double-crosses us?

They still don't know there's only five of us here.

Now, if we can hold out until the rest of the hands get back--

You won't. Carl isn't gonna wait much longer. Believe me.

All right. Take the boy.

I think you made the right decision, Mr. Hadley.

Come on, son.

I don't know what you have in mind, but...

if you need any help...

Thanks. Maybe I will.

They didn't take kindly to you last time you tried to talk to them

This time, he'll be doing the talking.

♪♪

Here they come.

Everybody wait now. Wait till they get over to us.

Then there's nothing to stop us.

Soon as they're out of the way, pour everything you have at the house.

Keep 'em so busy, they won't be able to cover the barn.

What are they stopping for?

I don't know.

What's the matter, Pa?

Looks like as good a spot as any, I guess.

We haven't played mumblety-peg in a long time, Jamie.

Pa! We can't stop and play mumblety-peg here!

I can't think of a better time or place, son.

Come on, son. Sit down.

What's he doing?

What's he up to?

I wish I knew.

Come on, son.

You all right, Pa?

Never better.

Nothing like a nice, quiet game to cool things off.

I used to be a pretty fair mumblety-pegger.

Let's see if I've still got the touch.

Come on, Jamie, get in the game.

♪♪

Frank, get over here!

You, uh, don't mind if I go first, do you?

Not at all.

I was wondering back there how you were gonna handle things.

I sure never would have thought of mumblety-peg.

Well, neither would they.

Not bad for an old man.

Not mumblety-peg.

I don't believe it.

Looks like they're playing mumblety-peg.

Frank! Get out of there! You'll get hit!

Oh, shucks.

Pa! We're right in the middle!

The only place for a moderate man to be.

But, Pa!THE VIRGINIAN: Don't worry about it, Jamie.

Your pa knows what he's doing.

You just made it.

I don't know what got into him, but we can't wait any longer.

Jeff, ease over around the side. We'll cover you.

Go on, I tell you!

Don't pay any attention to him! Do what I tell you!

♪♪

Ah!Thought you said you were good at this.

Well, I'm not used to playing

in front of such a big audience.

Your turn.

Go ahead, son.

What's the matter with everybody?

Just 'cause Frank's gone loco?

You forgetting what they done to us?

It's all over, Carl.

Ed, if you ever have any grandchildren,

you'll sure have something to tell them.

That's very good, son.

Looks like you can call the game off pretty soon.

I was just beginning to enjoy it.

Jamie, your father's not only a brave man,

he's a smart man too.

Frank?

Well, I guess that's enough for now.

You played real good, son.

Frank!

I was scared, Ma!

We all were, Jamie.

All except your pa.

I guess I've always been curious about

how much a man could stand.

the truth is, he can stand most anything.

But that's not to say he always should.

Why don't you run along? I want to talk to your mother.

Come on, Jamie.

Frank--

You had your say a while back. Now it's my turn.

We start over.

If you want, you go where I go,

you do what I want done,

My faults and weaknesses-- you don't bother to tell me about them.

You abide them.

All right?

Yes, Frank.

I was just wondering...Yes?

.'..how a woman could live with a man all those years

and not really know him.

HADLEY: Mr. Adams?

Mr. Adams, I'm obliged to you.

I expect both sides are obliged to you.

Won't you sit down?

I, uh, think Jamie has something to say to you.

I'm sorry, Mr. Hadley, about what I tried to do to your barn.

That's all right, son.

I guess we all did a few things we're not very proud of.

I still think farming and ranching don't mix,

but if I'm going to have to have neighbors,

I think we can find a better parcel of land for you

somewhere around here.

Better for both of us.

Well, I'm willing to look.

I've got some maps we can look over.

Well, I guess I'll be heading back.

Oh, I... believe this belongs to you.Thank you.

I saw how you helped Frank out there.

I don't know how to thank you.

It was all his idea. The only trouble is, when I get back to Shiloh,

they won't believe me, and I don't know as I blame them.

Goodbye, mister. It's been a pleasure knowing you.

Good luck. So long, Jamie.

I guess you're pretty proud of your father, aren't you?

Yes, sir.Don't forget how good he is at mumblety-peg.

I'll walk out with you.

I may be needing a new foreman.

You wouldn't be interested?

No, I'm afraid I've got a job.

Give Grainger my regards.

I'll do that.

♪♪

[ theme music playing ]