Original subtitles

That's what I call judicious shootin'...

Just enough to intimidate, but not enough to do any real injury.

Why don't you hang out a sign, Mead? "Here's where we steal cattle."

If they didn't know somebody was stealing

cattle, they wouldn't be scoutin' around up here.

You just handle your part of it, Gummery. I'll take care of that Shiloh bunch.

Now let's get these cattle through the pass 'fore somebody else shows up.

All right. Move 'em out!

Let's get him inside, boys.

Right here.

Pull your shirt out, Jean. It's not serious.

Where'd it happen?

I was up in that hummocky country near Bradbury's.

We was all spread out looking for cattle tracks, and then I found some.

What's in that? Just a little medicine. Come on.

Pull your shirt out. All right.

You didn't see who, huh?

Whoever it was has been skimming cattle regular...

Small bunches, just a few at a time.

- Hoping we wouldn't notice. - Mmm. Give me your arm.

Hold his shirt up, boys.

Now, Jean, I gotta warn ya. This may sting just a little touch.

Yow!

I guess it stung a little touch. Yeah.

Well, uh, what now? We talk to the sheriff?

No, not yet.

I don't like losing cattle or getting our people shot at,

but before we stir things up, I'd like to know who we're stirring.

I'm not too sure I know what you mean.

I mean it's local people doing these things.

Our friends and neighbors.

Giddap! Pull! Hyah!

Pull! Hyah! Hyah!

Hyah!

Pull! Hyah!

Whoa, whoa.

Hyah! Hyah!

Hyah!

Whoa. Ho. Walter.

Why can't you leave them poor trees alone?

- They're dead, Pa. - We got about a million miles...

of cattle fence around here to be mended,

and here you are haulin' down my orchard.

This one's dead. Listen. We're supposed to be makin' a fresh start.

We gotta build up, not tear down.

Ain't that right, boy?

Come out in the yard for a minute, will ya?

McCabe brought his bull.

- McCabe? - Yeah. He just brought it by.

He, uh, was hauling it here from Wanser's, and he took a notion to show it to us.

Well, you can look at it, can't ya?

Turn your head, lad. Let the lady see ya.

He's a fine-looking animal, Mr. McCabe... I guess.

Ah, you see that thoughtful look?

You ken what he's thinkin' about day and night?

Och, he's a creature of terrible, dismayin' lust.

Hello there. A fine-lookin' animal.

Aye. Oh, you found the laddie, huh?

Yes, I found him. He was rootin' up in my orchard.

He's got something in his head about them trees.

Go on. Get up there, lad, and have a look at him.

Now, here's the way of it, Bradbury.

You're starting from, uh... Well, you're-you're starting from...

"Starting from nothing," you were gonna say. Oh, you're starting out new.

Starting out fresh. Let's put it that way.

Now here's a chance to start out right.

Now, with a bull like this and just a few prime head of beef...

A few breeding cattle. Well, that makes some sense.

Aye. It makes all manner of sense.

Why, there's no use in too big a ranch.

You live right next door to Shiloh. You can't get bigger than that.

You're right. But you make a name for the best, huh?

Quality, not quantity. It's quality that'll do it for ya.

- What are you askin'? - Huh?

- How much? - Oh. Aye.

Well, uh... As a favor to all, uh, $300.

No.

Are you trying to tell me the beast no worth 300?

We don't have it.

Oh. Aye. Well, uh... Well, uh, we could perhaps come to some arrangement.

We don't have it.

Uh-huh.

Well, I'm sorry I came the long distance.

Now listen, McCabe. All the boy means is that we don't have the money right handy.

- But maybe we could get it up. - Aye, well, I'll wait till you do. Giddap.

Walter. There's no reason to talk to him so blunt.

Well, I reckon it was the truth.

We ain't fixed so bad. We've got some cash in hand,

and we'll have your brother Mike's wages comin' in from Shiloh every week.

And we've got a first mortgage owed to the bank and a second to Mr. Grainger.

But Clay's a friend.

Saddle up, and we'll go and talk it over with him right now.

- I'm workin', Pa. - Haulin' down my orchard?

Go on. Saddle up. If Clay Grainger says maybe, we still gotta talk it over.

If he says no, that's an end of it. Fair?

Look. Son, I'm not trying to put anything over on ya.

I'm just asking ya, is it fair?

All right.

Hey, my friend.

How'd you like to extend me about a 10-dollar loan until payday?

You just got paid two days ago.

Yeah, well, I've... I've been having a run of bad luck.

Come on, boy. Dig it up.

Hi. Hi.

Oh, I see you're collecting money. I suppose it's for me.

You've owed me, uh, 25 for the last month.

Bradbury, you already owe him?

Well, I'm running a little behind.

I've been turning money over to my pa.

Ah, you know, at his place. Helpin' him get started.

Well, I saw you at the saloon last night with Chick Mead.

Turned a little money over at poker.

Are you, uh, helping Mead get started too?

Say, you keep a pretty tight eye on your cash.

Oh, not exactly, but, uh... Well, you do owe me.

Sorry, friend. Hey, wait a minute. Hold on.

Hey, I needed that. You could tend to your own business.

Thought that's what I was doin'. Sorry.

Trampas, if I owe you money, I'm good for it. Let go of my arm.

I said I'm good for it! No doubt. Question is when.

All right! Some other place!

All right. All right. That's enough. That's enough.

Go wash your face. Then I want to talk to ya.

You're not new here, Trampas, and you know the rules.

I'm sorry. You settle your social problems somewhere else,

and not on my time. I said I'm sorry.

Either that or pick up your wages. You got that choice anytime.

But...

Trampas, what was it all about?

Think maybe you were a little hard on Trampas?

He was fighting. Well,

he was only half of that fight.

Mike Bradbury's short on temper and long on talk.

He doesn't get along very well with everyone.

Some rule a man has to be popular?

Well, he's been borrowin' money. I've got a notion he gambles in town.

I think we've got bigger problems than that right now.

What I'm sayin', sir, is I'd like to let Bradbury go.

Well, I prefer to keep him.

I know. I usually leave that up to you.

But that boy is Tim Bradbury's son, and I...

I just prefer that you keep him. That's all.

Sir, if I have to keep him on, I'd like to put him on another job.

Maybe, uh, stocking the line shacks. That ought to be done now anyhow.

Line shacks? That's old man's work.

It's a waste of a good hand, isn't it?

Yes, sir. It would be a waste of a good hand.

All right then, line shacks. Just so he keeps drawing his wages.

Walter Bradbury. Oh.

Mr. Grainger. What brings you to Shiloh?

I come over with Pa.

He, uh, come to see ya.

Oh? Where is he, in the house?

Mm-hmm.

Oh. Well...

I didn't know you were interested in farm machinery, Walter.

I just heard tell about it.

Well, that Hussey seeder's practically new.

My brother John bought it about four years ago.

Sent a fella out to seed a field with it, and I guess the fella thought...

he had ahold of a four-up stagecoach, the way he drove it.

So it's been sitting there out of whack ever since. Don't seem too bad busted.

I mean, seems a man could work her out.

Oh, yeah, I suppose. Why?

I'm just thinkin'.

If I fix it, you give me a season's use of it?

Well, that sounds reasonable.

But you're ranch people, not farmers. You can't do both.

I'm just thinkin', Mr. Grainger.

Oh.

Is that what your father came to see me about, that seeder?

No.

No, he's gonna ask you to extend the mortgage that you hold on us.

Oh.

Well, I suppose he had some good reason.

Mr. Grainger.

Uh, I'd appreciate you wouldn't do it.

I'm afraid I don't understand.

You tell me your father wants a favor,

and you're asking me not to give it?

I... I reckon you done enough.

Oh, no. I don't feel that way.

Not about your father. I never could.

Let's go talk about it.

No, Tim. It doesn't seem to be the usual style of rustlin'. Hmm.

It's more of a steady... Well, Tim.

Well... You've been keepin' too much to yourself lately.

There's a sight of work to do over there.

How are ya, Clay? Ah, moderate.

Well, Holly tells me you got rustler trouble. You been losin' cattle?

Well, a few. But we're hoping to take care of it, you know, quietly.

Well, this ain't exactly the right time for me to come at ya, is it? I mean...

No, no, no. Sit down. Sit down, Tim.

Well, I can see this is business, so I'll leave you gentlemen to talk it.

Oh, Walter. Help yourself to some lemonade and cookies. Thank you, ma'am.

Well, Tim, what... what is it?

Well, it's like this. You see, things are beginning to shape up over there,

and, uh, it's time to... To stock up.

So, I got a choice. Either I start building a herd the usual way...

You know, scrub cattle... Well, I can let you have some of mine.

That's hardly scrub. No, like that, the... the best that I could build to...

would be a ranch like this... Like Shiloh, only smaller.

Well, is there somethin' wrong with that? Well, for me, there is.

Tell you, Clay, I got a chance to buy McCabe's bull.

Wait. I ain't made no decision,

'cause we're gonna have a family discussion... the whole thing...

Tomorrow night.

The thing was, I... I was just trying to find out the... the possibilities.

Well, how much is McCabe asking? 300.

Pretty stiff price. The point is, with a bull like that,

I can start me a breed ranch, like Carlson's over there at Delphi.

Prime cattle. Nothin' but prime cattle.

Well, it could be practical, but I don't see where I fit in.

Well, you're the key to the whole thing,

'cause the only way that I can afford to buy that bull...

is if I hold off the payments of the second mortgage that you hold on us.

Hold off for, uh, a year, maybe more.

Now, I know that I owe you the money and you're entitled to it,

so if you say no, well, I won't have no hard feelings about it.

It's just that the whole thing depends on you.

Well, I kind of wish it didn't.

Walt doesn't seem too sold on the idea.

Well, my Walter, he's... he's cautious. He always has been.

And he never tells me exactly why.

Of course, it's a gamble. It is.

But if I'm ever to get back...

what I had once...

You know, I remember standing on a rise...

of my land there, back in Texas,

and I remember lookin' in all four directions,

and the big white-paint house, and I could see my wife standing on the porch...

and that orchard.

What an orchard that was.

And in every other direction,

cattle was grazing.

They were mine. Everything...

that I saw was mine.

And I thought it would last forever, but it didn't.

It just evaporated.

And you know how.

And ever since then, for 20 years,

I've been trying to fight back.

And I'm still trying to fight back.

So, you see, it's...

Depends on you, what you say.

Well, Tim, I hope you do have a conference with your whole family.

Oh, yes. We will. Absolutely. Tomorrow night.

And as far as it all depending on me...

I mean my postponing your payments to me...

You know I can't deny you that.

Ah.

I'll, um, wait outside.

Well, ain't you gonna thank Mr. Grainger?

You know, Tim, I wish I...

understood his attitude a little better...

What's on his mind about all this.

That boy never says what's on his mind.

He's always been the slow one.

Mike's more, uh, livelier. By the way, how is he doing here with you... Mike?

Well, he's like you say... lively.

We just pulled him out of a fight with another man.

Did he whip the man? I'm afraid we interfered.

Well, he's always been the scrapper, Mike has.

Oh, excuse me. I... I want to thank you for everything...

For all the help you've given us... the whole family.

No, no, Tim. And we are gonna make it this time. I have a feelin'.

Holly.

Well, I suppose you heard part of that.

Some of it. Yes.

He asked me for an extension on his loan.

And I told him yes.

I know that was generous.

Do you think it was wise?

Well, he has a project in mind. I'd like to help him see it through.

Do you think he can? I don't know.

I wish he had more help from his sons.

Seems to me Mike's careless.

Walt's slow. He's stubborn.

You know what happened when I met him out there?

He told me what his father wanted, and then he asked me not to give it to him.

Did he say why? Well, he...

He doesn't say much of anything.

I can't understand a son pulling against his father like that.

Against him, or just in a different direction?

Maybe he sees things clearer than any of us...

That what you're giving his father isn't help so much as charity.

Well, Tim Bradbury isn't asking for charity.

He's trying to make a comeback.

He's had 20 years to make a comeback.

If his son is beginning to have doubts about him,

maybe we'd better find out what those doubts are.

That's not my part in things. I deal with Tim, not his son.

It's only God's grace that he's not here and me there.

I don't believe that.

Tim Bradbury gave me everything.

Hired me as a cowhand. Then he made me his foreman.

Started me ranching on my own, and out of his own generosity,

he built me up and then he made me his partner.

Then we had the big Texas drought.

When we wanted out, well, he got us out.

He bought our cattle, and we went north with money...

His money, to start over again.

He stayed and lost everything.

Wife, his cattle, his ranch.

Dried out, burnt out, right to the roots.

And now, Holly, you're trying to tell me to say to this man,

"No, I'm sorry. That's your hard luck. I just can't spare any little favors."

I say whatever that man wants, I'm grateful to give him.

Regardless of who it pleases... His son or anybody else...

I'm gonna keep right on doing it.

Clay.

Mr. Ritt, is that a new brand of hardtack?

No. Garner's Hardtack Biscuits, just like the rest.

New-style box is all. Ah.

You got everything? Just about.

Let's see. Roll of smooth wire, keg of nails.

Ah. You might sort that out a bit.

Mike Bradbury. Ho, Chick.

What all are you doing here, boy? Settin' up a store?

No, I gotta go out and stock the Shiloh line shacks.

Got in a bit of a tussle yesterday, so they put me on lonely duty.

Boy, they can't do that. You're my principal means of support.

Well, how about a farewell poker game tonight?

Ah, I can't do it, Chick. Gotta go out and see my pa.

Besides, I haven't got it. I am flat busted out.

I could extend you a little credit.

Well, I don't... I don't know when you'd get it back.

I'm gonna be most all month out in the scrub.

Uh-huh. Which way you headed first?

Well, north, west sections.

Look. It's just possible that, uh...

Well, hey there, foreman.

Mead.

You know him? Some. You?

He worked at Shiloh for a while.

Now, here's the map.

You'll probably want to start up at camp three, up near Trico Pass.

Stock it and make any necessary repairs,

and then work your way east.

But you'll be on your own. No schedule, nobody to answer to.

I'll do a good job for ya. Sorry about yesterday, huh?

Ah, well, forget it.

Uh, one other thing.

The rustlers. They're operating up there somewhere.

They'll probably stay out of your way,

but if you do run across 'em, don't try to handle it yourself.

Just see what you can and report back to us.

Well, uh, I'll ride along with you a way.

Oh, um, I thought I'd bed the wagon down here tonight...

and start out first light tomorrow.

Planning a last night in town?

No. Uh, I just wanted to see my pa. You know, family business.

Oh, well, fair enough. Good luck.

Hey there, girl. How are ya?

Ho, ho, ho, I can see how you are.

Hey, my brother married you yet?

I'm gonna have to talk to him about that.

What's all that? Oh, just a little help-out.

From Mrs. Grainger? I'll have to go and thank her.

Uh, never mind about that. Just use it.

Hey, where's Walt? Where's the old man?

Hey, old man! It's the prodigal son.

Come on. Fetch out the fatted calf.

Mike? It's me, Pa.

Hey there, Brother.

You got that girl out there in trouble.

Don't deny it. I seen you out there giggling behind the barn.

Mike, my boy. Pa.

How are ya? Well, you wanted to talk family business, you said.

I'm here. Let's talk.

Well, it's just about buying McCabe's bull.

The question: if we do.

You mean you dragged me all the way out

from town just to ask me that? Buy the bull.

Well, your brother don't think we should.

- Well, I don't think we can. - That's how you get calves, ain't it?

Bulls and cows. I'd hoped you'd learned that by now.

Well, if that's settled, Pa, I think I'll go back to town.

Mike, I think we better talk serious, eh?

Sure. See, McCabe wants 300 for that bull.

We got 1,500 cash in hand.

800 of that's supposed to go to the bank, over the whole next year.

- First mortgage. - Well, that leaves 700.

Five of that should go to Grainger. Second mortgage.

Well, he said he'd hold off.

- We still owe him. - Grainger you're worried about?

The biggest, richest ranch in this countryside?

He loaned us the money. We owe it back to him.

Yeah, but where did he get it from? Who was it

that scrambled out of trouble at whose expense?

Well, I wouldn't put it just like that. How else?

He took your good cash for 600 bony cattle,

and they thirsted to death, horn and head.

They just lay down there and died.

And now Grainger's a great man, and we bow down,

and he hires me for a waddy.

Don't tell Pa what he owes. Mike, if your

brother has some doubts, I want to hear 'em.

It's just it-it cuts it too close.

You gotta figure ahead, figure everything.

Not just the bull.

Lumber. Food. Repairs.

Look. I... I wrote it all out. Hmm? Well.

See, now when would we start getting anything back? A year? Year and a half?

We got money we ain't even touched. Faith's got that 200.

She's got it, and she's keepin' it.

It was hers... hers when we married... hers and our kids.

Boys. Well, she's supposed to be family.

Yeah, so are you. You were supposed to turn over your Shiloh paychecks.

Where are they? Now, boys...

Well, I had to buy tack. Boys!

Well, I-I see that you done this real careful.

But, Son, sometimes you have to gamble.

I mean, what else can we go for?

He hasn't got anything to go for, Pa. He just goes against.

He has an idea. Why don't you ever listen?

Pa, Mike.

If we could start makin' some profit, straight off,

right away, three months...

Cattle take time, boy.

No, I don't mean cattle. No stock. None.

Pa, Grainger's got a seeder machine.

If I fix it, we can have the use of it free. He said that.

What?

I want to plant crops... Barley and alfalfa.

We could get a crop by this summer.

Farm? He wants us to farm.

Pa, I want to put in row crops straight through the orchard.

Where the orchard is now. It's our best ground. It's got the water already.

So, that's what's been in your mind all along, huh?

And you never said nothin'.

Next year, we could put in wheat. We could even try corn.

Why, we could market to every ranch around here.

We could haul produce down to... Dogs.

Pa...

I wrote that out too. I figured everything.

Cost of seed. Hours of labor per acre.

Crop size. Market price.

Dogs.

But, Son, I'm a rancher.

I mean, that's our life.

But why, Pa? Why?

When the most we can get... "Why?"

Because that's our life.

That's how we live.

I ain't a farmer. I ain't a peddler.

It's cattle and the hillsides and the valleys.

My cattle.

I don't go from door to door peddling produce.

I raise cattle. The railroads carry it. The stockyards buy it.

I had it all once.

I lost it.

I've been fighting it for 20 years.

I'm gonna get it back though.

I'm gonna get it back... now.

Or else I'll... I'll die tryin'.

My ranch, my cattle,

my life.

Son,

I don't know how you got this idea...

or why you kept it back from me the way you did,

but now, either you tell me that I'm wrong...

Everything I've lived for...

Or else you treat me as a son to a father and help me carry forward.

You say.

Walt.

Mike. Yeah, Pa?

Uh, you'll be, uh,

traveling past McCabe's tomorrow when you leave here, won't you?

Yeah, Pa.

Would you give him this? And tell him that we're gonna buy the bull.

And tell him that your brother'll fetch it.

Sure, Pa.

♪♪

♪♪

Make it a small one, Scotty.

Michael, my boy. Hi, Chick.

Hey. You left a loaded wagon over there all by itself to the stable.

Now, suppose I'd lifted a barrel of flour?

You're a pretty trustin' fella, ain't ya?

Well, it's Grainger's wagon, not mine.

Where are you sleepin' tonight? In the wagon.

Startin' out early in the morning.

Grainger's really looking out for your creature comforts, huh? Yeah.

Hey, you gonna join the game after all?

I told you, Chick. I ain't got it. I'm busted. Flat broke.

You're standing there with a roll big enough to choke a horse.

Yeah, but it's not mine. My father's buying McCabe's bull.

Oh. Besides, the fact of the matter is, Chick,

I've just about decided I am no gambler.

You may be right at that. When a gambling man hits a losing streak,

he, uh, hangs in there till he wins big.

He jumps right back up.

If you ain't got the spirit to tough it through, well, you may be right.

Maybe you better leave it alone. Well, it's not a matter of spirit exactly.

You said it yourself. Only talent you got is for losing.

Here. How much money you got? Now, I don't mean your dad's. I mean yours.

Exactly 37 cents. Come on.

I'll play you for that. I couldn't send you out...

into the wilderness with change still in your pocket.

Here. Sit down. I told you no, Chick.

I-I just don't want to get stuck anymore.

Uh, not even for 37 cents' worth.

All right, boy. Good-bye.

No hard feelings, huh, Chick? What?

I mean, you don't take it personal I won't play.

No, no. Of course not.

'Cause I'd like to. You know.

But, well... I guess I better be goin'.

Boys, Chick, I'll see ya.

Give my regards to them prairie dogs.

Three.

♪♪

Hey, boy.

I won $300 from you tonight... Your pa's money.

Well, I don't want it.

Here.

Here's 200 of it. I'll trust you for that.

Maybe McCabe will trust you for the other hundred.

Chick? Well, you got in a bind tonight.

I'm helping you out.

Maybe one day I'll get in a bind, and you'll help me out.

After all, what's a friend for, huh?

Boy. You don't find many friends your size, Chick.

How about the Shiloh people? They treat you all right?

Sure they do. No, I mean if it came to a showdown choice...

between the Shiloh people and me.

Just sort of a general question.

Why, you... you know the answer.

Uh-huh.

Well, I expect I'll have to, uh,

take a chance on that.

I'm putting myself squarely in your hands.

Mike, will you help me skim cattle?

What?

I've been meaning to talk to you about it for a long time now.

I've been lifting a few all along.

Sell 'em to a fella out Trico Pass way.

I could handle a lot more if I had some help,

and Grainger is sending you right out there.

Chick, I... I can't steal cattle.

Are you all that beholden to Grainger?

I'm talkin' about profit in your hand, boy.

I don't mean just cattle. Why, you can sell this wagon-load of supplies.

They wouldn't be missed for months.

Get yourself out of debt.

Get your family out of debt.

Get your pa's ranch goin' again.

No. I can't, Chick.

Well,

I reckon it was all just talk, wasn't it,

about how grateful you are.

But I am grateful.

All right.

I'll still trust you for that 200.

After all, it's your pa's money anyway, isn't it?

I guess I'll have to trust both of ya.

Maybe I'd better tell him that.

Chick.

Grainger knows he's been losing cattle.

He told me to be on the lookout for that.

Well, I guess you've caught me then, haven't you?

Maybe you'd better go tell him.

Seeing as you're so sure who your friends are.

Chick.

Afternoon.

Afternoon.

You mind telling me what you're doing here?

Eatin' a cracker. How about you?

You're on Shiloh property, son.

Well, you reckon Shiloh can spare the cracker?

All right. Either we can stand here and throw jokes back and forth at each other,

or you can answer the first question.

I come lookin' for my brother.

Your brother?

You Mike Bradbury's brother?

Walter? Mm-hmm.

Well, you're kind of far off your own place, aren't you?

Mm-hmm.

Well, I ride for Shiloh. My name's Trampas.

You always come in doors like that?

Well, I didn't know who you were at first.

Well, the best chance of you finding your brother is to wait right here.

He's supposed to be stocking these line shacks.

You don't mind if I go along, do ya?

No, I don't mind.

Whoa. Whoa.

Walt?

Hey, boy. I seen the wagon. I just wasn't sure it was you. That's all.

Where's your wagon? Well, what are you doing up here in the wilderness?

Nothin' wrong back home, is there?

I drove up to McCabe's ranch...

to pick up that bull.

Oh, yeah.

Well, ain't you gonna ask me why I came all the way beyond that?

Up here? Well, I... I reckon maybe you just...

Pa gave you $300 to pay for that bull.

McCabe says you only gave him 200.

Well?

I got in a little trouble, Walt.

All right, Walt! I lost it gambling, but it's all right.

I'm gonna fix it up. You lost it gambling to who?

Chick Mead, a fella in Medicine Bow.

I still owe him some, too, but I... I promise you I'll work it out.

How? How? I... I just will. That's all.

I'll pay McCabe inside of a month.

A couple of weeks maybe. No. You don't make that much.

Is that where your other paychecks went... gambling?

Walt, you gotta trust me.

I done that a good part of my life, Mike... trusted you.

I keep waitin' to understand why.

Listen, Walt.

I never been steady like you.

I wish I was. I swear I wish it.

But I would die and go down to hell before I'd hurt any of you.

You always talk so good.

Hey, Walt. Hey, remember when we was kids?

We made that bargain between us that we'd help Pa get back on top of things.

Well, that's what we've been tryin', ain't it? You and me? For years?

Yeah, so you took and lost his money gamblin'.

I took a chance with his money.

But I'll make it good to him. I said that, and I will.

- I gotta tell him, Mike. - Why?

I think he should know about it.

To get back at me, Walt?

Because Pa always favored me over you?

You wanna show me up bad?

You always turn things around on me.

He's an old man, Walt. It'll break his heart.

Don't you do it to him, Walt.

All right, Mike. I won't tell Pa.

I'll even fix things for ya. I'll pay the people you owe.

For the last time, Mike.

You do this to us again, and I'll kill ya.

I'll kill ya!

Everybody keeps telling me that these trees are dead.

Only the trees don't know it. They keep putting out blossoms.

Very pretty, Pa. And that husband of yours keeps trying to rip them out.

He dislike apple blossoms? You know better.

You know, back in Texas, we had a big bank of apple trees right outside the kitchen.

And my wife took such a pleasure in them.

You put me in mind of her a lot, girl,

and this family has been very lucky in its women.

What's the matter?

Pa, this family's lucky in you.

You're a generous man. You're a brave man.

You deserve better than you have.

And that's all that we... Hyah!

Oh, that's Walter. He's back.

Come along.

Are you all right? I'm all right. Just a little pain.

You go ahead, Pa. I'll follow along. You sure?

Come on. Come on.

Whoa. Whoa.

Hey, Walter! We was looking for you last night.

I was delayed. Faith. There he is! By Godfrey, there he is!

Come in the house with me. Help me get him into the paddock, will ya?

We gotta get this rig back to McCabe, you know.

I'll stall him for ya, Pa. But I got an errand to do.

Now listen. Get him into the paddocks. I want to see him move around.

I'll come back out and help, Pa. Just don't try and handle him alone.

Oh, you're so much in a hurry, I'll do it. I'll do it.

Ah.

Well, welcome, boy. Welcome.

Welcome. Let's see.

Welcome, boy. Big boy.

What's wrong?

I want the money.

My money? Do you mean...

All of it?

Yes.

Will you tell me why later?

Walter! Walter!

Hey, stop it! Walter!

Pa!

I'm all right.

He just broke away from me.

Faith. Why?

He would have killed you, Pa.

If you'd have helped me unload him...

If you hadn't been in such a big hurry...

You gotta excuse me for that. I... It's my fault, I guess.

Just leave me alone.

Then I turned and scouted west and come across some tracks.

Somebody's been driving cattle.

There were horse tracks and some recent campsites.

And I found some too.

Then I got rain, and it pretty well washed things out.

So I, uh, headed back to line shack three,

and I come across Walt Bradbury and his wagon.

You mean Mike Bradbury and our wagon.

No, I mean Walt Bradbury and his wagon. I didn't see Mike from first to last.

Walt say what he was doing up there?

Lookin' for his brother, same as me.

Beyond that, he didn't say much. He, uh... He wasn't altogether too friendly.

Well, he's like that anyway.

Trampas, had Mike been to the shack? I mean, was it stocked?

No. It was empty. Bare empty, except for a few old supplies.

Well, maybe he hasn't worked around that far yet.

I was up at shacks one and four, and, uh, no sign of him down there either.

He must be out there somewhere. You both go out tomorrow and see if you can find him.

Well, when you met Walt, did you see anything else about him that might...

No. No, not a thing. Anything in his wagon?

No, it was empty. It... There was a rope, piece of chain,

a crate in the front seat.

A funny-looking crate. I never seen one like it before.

It had a design on the top of it... diamonds, all together.

I think maybe we better go into town and talk to the sheriff.

I have to tell you gentlemen, I've got this game pegged out.

Another man care to deal?

Your name Mead? Yes, sir.

I want to talk. Friend, I'm sittin' to poker.

I'm Walt Bradbury.

Keep the pot warm, gentlemen. I'll be right back.

You... You've been gambling with my brother.

Well, I'd say it was more like he'd been gambling with me.

He told me he owes you this.

Well, I'll just let him pay me himself.

No, you take it, and you don't gamble with him no more... anytime.

Ever. I think your brother's big enough to wipe his own face.

I said you take it.

You keep your money, friend, and you just buy yourself a straight leg.

You must be Walt Bradbury. I know everyone else.

I'm afraid you're under arrest.

Why? Well, I reckon assault will do for a charge.

Unless you can think of a better one.

Come on.

I said come on!

Come in.

Mr. Grainger, Trampas bumped into Mike about a mile out.

- He was headed this way. - I'm all right, Mr. Grainger.

Well, sit down.

- I just got bushwhacked, Mr. Grainger. - Bushwhacked?

Straightaway, first night out.

I-I pulled in to line shack number three, you know.

And I-I walked through the door, and somebody walloped me with a stake.

When I woke up later, I was gagged, tied and blindfolded.

I mean, I never even seen 'em, first to last.

"Seen them"? Yeah. Must... Must have been three men.

Maybe four. I hear 'em talking.

And they kept me right along with 'em for the next two days.

Dr-Drove a long way, and then they... and then they unloaded your wagon into theirs.

Stole all your supplies, Mr. Grainger.

Hmm. Were they driving cattle too?

Cattle? No, I don't...

No, no. I'd have heard 'em. Just drifters, I reckon.

There's one question I've gotta ask. I wish I didn't have to.

Is it possible your brother was one of those men?

My brother? Well, he was up in that territory.

- Did you know he was up there? - Uh... No.

Well, could he have been one of 'em?

No, no. I-I'd know my brother, even blindfolded.

Well, you better get cleaned up and get some rest.

I'll be all right, Mr. Grainger.

I...

Well, I guess that explains most things.

Not quite everything. What about his brother and that crate?

Don't you want to look into that?

I'm gonna see how his wife's doing.

Holly's been with her all night.

Morning, Walter. Morning.

I have two different kinds of news this morning.

First of all, that matter we asked you about last night.

Our troubles at Shiloh and our suspicions you might be involved.

Well, your brother Mike got back this morning,

and he told us he'd been bushwhacked up there.

Three men, he said. Strangers.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, that explains things substantially.

So, uh, Sheriff, under the circumstances, if we could just let this thing drop.

Wait. You still think maybe I did it?

Ran off your cattle? Well, there's no clear evidence of anything.

But you still think I did it.

Whatever I might think is of no consequence right now.

I told you I had two different kinds of news,

and the second and most important is...

Congratulations. You have a child.

What? A girl child, born early this morning.

Wh-Wh... How is... Holly and the doctor are out there with her now,

and she's fine.

Didn't even stop to thank me for the meals. No.

Look out!

Be careful. That girl just had a baby.

Do you want to see what you've got?

She's ugly.

Well, if you aren't the most ugliest...

Hey.

Hey, old mother.

Chick!

You ain't too cautious, boy, comin' here.

But it's all right. I got things to tell you.

No, I got things to tell you. This whole thing's coming apart, Chick.

Didn't you tell 'em like I said?

Go on back to Shiloh and tell that... Yeah, I told 'em.

And they believed it, but they ain't gonna believe it long.

After a while, they're gonna start asking details. They're gonna talk to my brother.

And the details just don't tally right, Chick.

Then they got me.

Yeah.

Yeah, I believe you're right.

I had a good little thing going there. Too bad.

Guess I'll just have to turn it into a final good big thing.

You and me and Gummery will clean out that whole section... every beef we can grab.

Clean 'em out and ride off.

Good-bye to everyone.

Chick, what about my people, my pa?

You can't do your pa much good in jail, now, can ya?

Come on, boy. You wasn't built for this life.

Hey, but what about the Shiloh people?

I mean, if we try to clean that section out...

I mean, they're gonna be up there after what

I told 'em, looking for those bushwhackers.

That's precisely right, huh?

And you are gonna help 'em look for 'em.

Here's the point, Mr. Grainger.

When you asked me was they rustling cattle,

those bushwhackers, the ones that grabbed me,

I told you they weren't,

but I've been thinkin' about it since then, and...

I think they may be planning to rustle.

What makes you think that?

Well, just some things I heard them saying.

Not a lot, of course, but...

I remember one night one of them saying,

"Right here. We could drive 'em right over here, down to Anders's old place."

Well, it all ties in, Mr. Grainger.

There was a fella named Anders up in those hills about 10 years ago.

He built a winter corral on the back slopes.

Probably four or five ways across those hills.

Well, I, uh... I think I could recognize the place.

I could, you know, study it out.

- You in any condition to ride? - Sure I am. I feel fine now.

Well, we were about to send a party out anyway.

So I guess you better ride.

Uh, let me put her down now.

If you keep on jiggling her, we're all gonna be sorry.

But I... I thought babies liked to be jiggled.

Well, in moderation is all. All right. Now careful. Careful.

Pa! Ah, there she is,

the next queen of England. Oh, Tim!

What? Uh, don't come in with those filthy boots.

Oh. She's a rig, ain't she?

She's a real copper-plated rig.

Yeah. I wanted Mike to come up here and see her.

I just been over in Shiloh. But he's gone back out again already.

- Pa, where is Mike? - Like I told you, he's gone.

I reckon you heard he was ambushed...

his very first night up there.

He was robbed. All them Shiloh supplies.

First, he said?

Pa, he said the first night?

The first night, the very first shack he come to.

If they'd have swung a little further this way, they'd have picked up our tracks.

But they didn't, Gummery.

And our young friend is gonna take 'em a whole half day away.

How's he gonna get back to us?

I consider that mostly his lookout.

Trampas, get up.

Huh? Bradbury did it,

and he split out, heading west. Why don't you take one of the others?

We'll follow at a distance, but I don't want to lose him altogether.

Come on, Trampas. Get up! Hmm? I'm up. I'm up. Up. Up.

Gummery, wake up.

- Come on! - Roll out of there!

What time is it? Time to get movin'.

I ain't gonna wait for that boy all day.

What's the rush? I want to get the cattle out of these hills...

before the sun gets up any higher, and it's...

Chick?

It's all right. Ho!

You're late gettin' here, aren't ya, boy?

They put me on guard duty till midnight.

- They couldn't have missed me till sunup. - All right. Let's drive cattle!

Hup!

Right. You hold it there.

Walt? Don't get in between, Mike.

Stay there. Walt.

What are you doing coming out here after me?

- You know what. - But this is the Shiloh posse, Walt.

I know who they are, Mike.

You're runnin' out on us...

Pa, me, Grainger and everyone else.

Now, you can't stop me, little brother.

I don't want to stop ya.

You go on off with your friends. You ride as far as you like.

But you leave Grainger's cattle.

Is that the straight of it, Bradbury? Is that all you want?

Well, I expect you're, uh...

You're a-holdin' the one-eyed jack all right.

Come on! No, it's my brother!

He shot at you, didn't he?

- Hold it right there. - Mead!

Just let him go.

We'll ride out.

You are in my way, boy.

Chick, he's my brother.

- You got no more brother. - No, Chick!

Mike!

We were followin' after your brother.

I'm sorry we didn't... We didn't follow closer.

Sorry.

Sorry it ended like this, Walt.

Whoa. Whoa.

All over?

Yes.

Trampas and Jean and I didn't know whether to go in or not.

We didn't know how Mr. Bradbury would feel about it.

How do you ever know? He'll be here in a few minutes though.

Maybe he'd like to see you afterwards.

I hope things go smoother for him now.

They will be. I'll do anything on earth to see to that.

Will you?

Will I what?

Do what you said... anything on earth for Tim Bradbury?

Of course I will.

You've already done everything on earth for him.

The man's lost everything. Now his own son dead.

I can't help feeling partly responsible.

Maybe you are.

Remember, you suspected his brother Walt.

But you wanted so badly to be kind, you let the thing drop.

You didn't want to know the truth, but if you'd gone after it,

maybe you would have prevented everything that happened after.

Clay.

It's not my purpose to be cruel.

What is your purpose then? To try and make you see what I said before...

That you cannot keep on doin' for people what you think is kindness.

Sometimes it does them injury instead.

What else can I do for Tim Bradbury?

Oh, Clay.

You have had him on your conscience for 20 years.

Now get him off.

For 20 years, you've felt guilty because he failed and you succeeded.

I have felt guilty.

Yes, and here's something else.

Maybe besides guilt,

you have felt a peculiar small sense of triumph.

Maybe...

every favor that you have done for him...

has both appeased your guilt...

and reminded you that, after all, now you are the big man.

I don't know anyone else in the world who'd say that to me.

You are the world to me.

Tim's coming into the yard now.

I'll go, and I won't interfere anymore.

Hello, Clay.

The door was unlatched. Come in. Come in, Tim.

Walter.

Well, can I get you something, Tim?

That would be real welcome.

How's the baby, Walter? Ah, I keep waiting for her to pretty up.

Well, Clay, I reckon you know why I'm here.

Another beggin' expedition.

Oh?

If you say no to me, I can't be mad,

but, uh, we lost the bull.

McCabe's bull.

You know how it happened, and you know the money that we paid for him.

And now...

Well, Mike...

Mike's gone.

I don't hold you accountable for that, or your men.

He brought it on himself.

But we ain't licked.

No, sir. By golly, we're gonna fight back.

Now here's the thing.

If you would lend me... just lend me a few cattle,

like a good bull and some heifers,

we could start building a herd that way.

You know, no prize cattle or nothing, but... but it would be a herd.

And, uh... Well, I mean, that's the thing.

Well?

No.

What, Clay? I won't lend you the cattle, Tim.

But I will lend you that seeder sitting out there.

Costs me nothing. Costs you nothing.

Farmer? I mean, turn farmer?

Well, it was Walt's idea, and it's a good one.

But, you know, I'm a rancher. I'm too old to change.

A rancher can't turn farmer...

and then gamble on somethin' he... that he don't know nothin' about.

Well, Walt does.

And I'll lend you a couple of Shiloh hands to do the hard labor, to clear the land.

- And then what? - And I'll guarantee you a market...

for all the produce the first year.

Well,

I guess you forgot about Texas.

No.

I haven't forgotten any of it, Tim.

The best run, the best-looking ranch around.

But that was Texas, as you said.

And 20 years ago.

You know, I... I can't believe that it's you talkin'.

And it's we who was partners.

And that don't make no difference?

No.

But you sold me them cattle. You got away.

And you left me to burn out.

You come north and got rich.

You bought those cattle at a fair price, Tim. They were cheap.

And if the drought had ended, you'd have been bigger than ever.

That was your gamble. It was a fair gamble. It didn't work.

But I can't accept responsibility for that anymore.

For bad luck and Texas weather.

You can't enjoy seeing me brought down like this, can ya?

Well, I can't answer for everything in my soul, Tim,

but I do know there's gratitude, there's respect,

there's the feeling that the best favor I can do you is no favor at all.

Just the things that work, that are real.

Well...

Walter.

You comin', boy?

Pa. Hmm?

You said we're going to fight back...

That we ain't licked, right?

- Yes. - Well?

Pa, let's go home and talk about it, huh?

Hyah.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa!

Seems like they come easier after the first one... like pullin' teeth, I reckon.

Clay, we aim to plow right up to that ridge.

Not too big a plot the first year till we get the hang of it.

Then watch us go.

Well, I gotta get back to the vegetable garden.

Vegetables.

You know, I... I hate to lose them trees though, Clay,

'cause they're pretty.

Well, it's your best ground to plant.

And they tell me crops can look pretty to some people.

Well, not like them trees. Oh, the... the same blossoms... white blossoms...

Comin' year after year.

The smell.

But you're right.

And Walter's right. Everybody's right.

They gotta go, 'cause they're old.

They're just old.