Original subtitles

You might just as well come in and steal the place...

as offer the kind of money you're talking about.

Mr. Kincaid, nobody's forcing you to sell.

I'm just making you an offer. That's all.

Oh, I gotta sell. You and everybody around here knows that.

Man can only take just so many dead cattle...

and burnt fields and bad water.

But I gotta get some kind of price. Anybody made you a better offer?

No.

I-I'm sorry. I didn't hear that.

I said no. Nobody's made any offer, except you.

I tell you what, Mr. Kincaid.

Why don't you take another day or two to think about it?

I know how hard it is for a man to part with land he's worked.

But the fact of the matter is, this spread ain't worth no more than we payin' for it.

Mr. Buchanan.

How soon can we have the money?

Tomorrow morning. Soon as the bank opens, I'll draw up a draft.

Less'n you want the money tonight.

I will take the bank draft tomorrow mornin'.

Fine. Well, I'll see you then, huh?

Good night, Mrs. Kincaid, Ben.

Thanks.

Well, I'd been trying to ride that horse for more than a week...

and I just wasn't gettin' anywhere.

I'd get up, he'd throw me off.

I'd get up again, he'd throw me off again.

Now that may have been fine for the horse, but it sure wasn't doing me much good.

So I figured it's about time to have a long talk.

With the foreman? No, with the horse.

I got him all saddled and everything,

and then I stood there and I explained to him...

how sooner or later somebody's gonna have to ride him.

And seein' as how we'd become well acquainted and all...

and I had invested all that time,

it really should be me that finally rides him.

Well, Ellen, I could swear that he looked right at me and nodded.

I don't believe it. No, it's the truth.

He nodded. And then I got up on him,

and he stood there...

just as pretty as you please...

For about three seconds, and then he threw me off again.

I tell you, it's the last time I ever have a heart-to-heart talk with a horse.

I think the nicest sound in the world...

is the laughter of pretty girls and children.

Sometimes you manage to sound like both...

at the same time.

Do you like children, David?

They scare me more than anything else.

Seems as though they always know exactly what you're thinkin',

and you haven't got the slightest notion as to what's on their mind.

But you'd like a son of your own someday, wouldn't you?

I guess so. But that's a long way off.

It wouldn't have to be.

A long way off, I mean.

Well, I, uh...

I've heard that raising a family generally... takes two people.

Well, I was hoping you already thought...

that you found that other person.

Ellen, it's not that we haven't had fun.

It's just that I'm not... ready for what you're thinkin' about.

Why not? Because we haven't known each other long enough?

Well, part that. Part that I only make a dollar a day,

don't have any kind of a stake saved up.

I don't know enough to run a ranch of my own, even if I could afford to buy one.

- That enough of a reason? - I don't care about any of that.

Well, maybe not, and that's to your credit.

But I do.

And it's gonna be some time before I start

talking about settling down to raise a family.

I just think it's only fair that you know that now. Fair?

Is that your idea about being fair?

Well, let me tell you something.

Ellen? That man insulting you?

No, Case.

I mean, I know he's been taking you around for the past couple weeks,

but that doesn't give him any call to insult you.

I don't think it's any of your business, Buchanan.

I'd sure like it to be.

How about it, Ellen?

Why don't you buy me a drink, Case?

Be my pleasure, miss. My pleasure.

Sometime, cowboy, I'd like to teach you a little manners.

You're not exactly the kind to be giving lessons in etiquette.

In fact, just the way you look at a woman beats any insult I'd ever make.

Get up.

Uh, Case, you gonna buy me that drink or not?

Hmm? Yeah, sure.

Uh, a drink for my friend.

Hyah!

I still can't see why we couldn't have stopped for a beer.

Trampas said he wanted us right back, so that's just what we're doin'.

Yeah, but it's not like Trampas, not givin' us time to stop for a beer.

Lot of things Trampas been doing don't seem like him.

Like the way he's been riding all of us.

Well, it's a fact things haven't been going too good.

Like fences cut, the line shack broken into.

I guess... I guess he's got problems of his own.

Well, maybe.

But a man sure ought to be able to stop for a beer.

Whoo-hoo!

What's he trying to do?

You can't move over much more. You're almost off the road.

- I know! - Whoo-hoo!

You all right, Dave? I will be when I stop shaking.

You could have killed him, Case.

I might yet.

What was that all about?

The road goes two ways.

If you can't drive your wagon, maybe you ought to let your friend try.

You forced us off.

If that's the way you feel about it, Sutton, you got two choices.

You can go into town, you can tell the

sheriff that Case Buchanan's been a bad boy.

Or you can handle it yourself, if you're man enough.

You come down out of there and I'll show you. Not with fists, Sutton.

We settle this, we settle it for good.

Come on, Dave. We're wastin' our time.

You better listen to him, David.

Look, Trampas wants us back at the ranch, remember?

Take a good look, Ellen. There goes a man who's gonna live a long time.

If you call that livin'.

Dave. You start to break those horses?

Oh, it was about 50-50.

Where you headed now?

Just where it looks like. Shed... then get something to eat.

I want you to ride out to the east range. Some strays were spotted by the water hole.

If they were seen, why weren't they brought in?

The men had their hands full.

I've been at it since before sunup.

- Just like everybody else around here. - Can't it wait till morning?

If I wanted you to wait till morning, I would have said so! Now get goin'!

Hey! That's my coffee.

What are you doin'?

I'm, uh, just filling my canteen.

What's that for?

Just want to make sure you don't pick up where you left off the other day.

No. No trouble.

Yes, there is. You're on Shiloh land.

I, uh... I was just doin' a little huntin'.

Somebody told me the grouse are really good around here.

They are, but not for you. Now just get on your horse and get ridin'.

Now!

You oughta send for Ellen now to see you,

how brave you are when you got the drop on somebody.

Just get movin', Buchanan. I haven't got time to stand here jawin' with you all day.

Hold it.

Well, I was just gonna get my canteen.

I'll get it. You just stay put.

Otherwise, we might just finish this thing once and for all, like you said.

Trampas?

David.

Elizabeth, uh,

is Trampas around?

No. He rode out to the line shack by the south range.

He said something about wanting to fix the roof.

Well, uh, tell him when he gets back...

that, uh... that I had to take the wagon to go into town.

But it's nearly dark. Couldn't it wait till morning?

No. No, it can't.

I'll be back around 9:00. David, what's wrong?

I just shot Case Buchanan.

How?

I don't know. It all happened so fast.

He drew his gun.

Then it was in self-defense.

Well, maybe. But why would he draw his gun?

Unless he thought I was gonna shoot him where he stood.

Wasn't Case Buchanan the one that drove you and Jean off the road the other day?

And the one I had a few words with a few days ago in the saloon.

No, there was no love lost between us. David.

I know what you're feeling,

but try to think about it logically.

He drew on you. You had to fire.

That's all there is to it.

Elizabeth, that's not all there is to it!

I killed a man.

I pulled a trigger, and a man is dead!

So don't you stand there...

and tell me that you know what I'm feelin'.

You don't.

I'll tell Trampas where you are.

When I was little boy, about 10, 11, I guess,

I had a real good friend... Lonny Dietrich.

We used to fool around a lot, wrestlin' mostly.

Oh, wrestlin' was a big thing in Pennsylvania.

All those big, strong coal miners would get together and they'd really put on a show.

I used to watch a lot.

One day, I even got one of 'em to show me some holds.

It didn't do much good, though, 'cause Lonny always beat me anyway.

Well, he was just better coordinated than I was.

One day after school, we got into a match,

and he was really beatin' me.

I mean, he hadn't hurt me or anything, but...

some of the other kids were standin' around,

and they were ribbin' me pretty good.

And all of a sudden, Lonny slipped and fell.

And I looked down and I saw his arm lyin' all stretched out.

I wasn't even thinkin'. I jumped on it.

I broke his arm.

He cried. I cried.

I was so scared that he wasn't ever gonna be able to use that arm again.

That's all I had on my mind for weeks.

Well, the doctor took off the splint.

Said that the arm was good as new.

Until today, that's, uh,

the most violent thing I ever did.

David,

it's gonna be all right.

If that's the way you feel about it, Sutton, you got two choices.

You can go into town, you can tell the

sheriff that Case Buchanan's been a bad boy.

Or you can handle it yourself, if you're man enough.

Take a good look, Ellen. There goes a man who's gonna live a long time.

If you call that livin'.

I want you to ride out to east range. Some strays were spotted by the water hole.

If they were seen, why weren't they brought in?

The men had their hands full.

I've been at it since before sunup.

Just like everybody else around here.

Can't it wait till mornin'?

If I wanted you to wait till morning, I would have said so!

Now get goin'!

- What's that for? - Just wanna make sure you don't pick up...

where you left off the other day.

I was just gonna get my canteen.

I'll get it. You just stay put.

Otherwise, we might just finish this thing, like you said, once and for all.

I was just doin' a little huntin'.

Somebody told me the grouse are really good around here.

♪♪

Yeah.

Bartender, drinks all the way around.

Not bad for a man my age. Not bad at all.

I could still do a good day's work with the best of you.

But I'm lucky. I got me two fine boys to do all that.

Two mighty fine boys.

And good as they are, neither one of them can yet take me arm wrestlin'.

Maybe someday they will. Come on. Let's sit down.

Case will be surprised to see you.

Well, that's the way I planned it.

Keeps him on his toes.

If he knew I was comin', he'd be on his best behavior.

This way, I know what he's like when I'm not around.

What's he like, Ellen?

Well, I really don't know him that well, Mr. Buchanan.

Well, what do you know?

Not much, really.

Well, I almost know as much about you. Maybe more.

Well, how?

Case talks about you and his brother all the time.

That's just like the boy. Most important thing to us is each other.

I spent a lot of time teachin' him that.

Well, it shows. It certainly does.

The other thing I taught him was to be on time. Now, he's late.

He can't be out huntin' in the dark. He'll be here, I'm sure.

Well, then let's have a drink while we wait. Bartender!

You know... Mr. Buchanan?

Yeah, what is it?

I wonder if we could go outside? Well, what for?

Well, come on. Speak up, if you've got anything to say.

Well, it's about your son. Case?

Yes, sir. What about him?

He's dead.

Well, wh-what... What do you mean, dead?

He was shot.

Who shot him?

I did.

He drew on me. I was just seeing he was off Shiloh land.

He was out huntin'. Isn't that what you said?

Yes.

I found him near one of our water holes.

I told him to ride off. He mounted and drew on me.

You expect me to believe that?

It's the truth. I know my boy.

If he shot first, you'd be laying in... in the dirt dead.

I'm sorry.

That's how it happened.

That's the way it happened.

You don't have to tell me the gun laws in these parts.

I know if a man draws his gun on you, you got a right to protect yourself.

What I'm saying is my son never drew. He never got the chance.

I told you how it happened, Mr. Buchanan.

If you're so fast, boy, how come you didn't stand up to him on the road that morning?

The girl told me how he ran you off.

How you backed away with your tail between

your legs when it came right down to a fight.

I never claimed to be fast. I'm not a gunfighter.

Then how did you do it? I'll tell you.

You came upon my boy when he was filling his canteen.

You had your gun drawn and you shot him.

He drew on me. Prove it!

You know he can't prove it, Mr. Buchanan. There were no witnesses.

And you can't disprove it either. I don't have to.

My boy can handle himself with the best of 'em.

No, Case was no gunfighter, but he could take care of himself.

I taught him.

If it was a fair fight, boy,

they'd have buried you today and not my son.

Mr. Buchanan, we feel sorry about your son, but, uh, I believe Dave's story.

All right. All right. It's my word against his. And he was there.

But there are other ways to prove a point.

When I was a young boy, there was a killing near my father's ranch.

A young girl, her neck was broken.

No one saw who did it and there were no witnesses.

But before dark, the good neighbors had the murderer.

A cowboy was passing through, said he was drunk the night before.

Couldn't remember where he was or what he did.

And that was all the proof the good neighbors needed to hang him to a tree.

- And the matter was closed. - And what did that prove, Mr. Buchanan?

It gave the ranchers peace of mind, the girl's people satisfaction.

And that's what I want right now... satisfaction...

For me, my dead son and his brother.

And how do you intend on getting it, hanging Dave to a tree?

I'm not gonna rest until this matter is settled.

The matter is settled!

And I want you off this ranch. And don't come back.

All right. Have it your own way.

But I wanna tell you something.

One of these days you're gonna have to come to town.

And when you do, I'll be waitin' for you.

And you're gonna pay for what you did.

I can wait,

but I wonder how long the people of Medicine Bow can.

Where do you think you're goin'?

The way fences need replacin' around here, we need some more wire.

All right. I'll send somebody in to get it. Oh, I can manage.

I'm sure you can, but I don't want you going into town.

That's where the general store is. And that's where Buchanan is.

I can't help that. You can by staying here.

For how long, the rest of my life?

Until Buchanan decides to move on.

And if he doesn't? He's gotta go about his business sometime.

What am I supposed to do until he does, crawl into a hole,

hide every time I think he might be comin'?

He won't be coming out here. Is that supposed to make me feel better?

It might help keep you alive. That's all I'm interested in. Well, I'm not.

Look, I had a father too... A coal miner.

He worked himself to death to see that I didn't have to spend my life...

crawling around in the ground, breathing coal dust instead of air.

I'm not gonna start now. And you're not going into town. Not for me.

I'll go for myself and get this thing taken care of.

Now you listen to me. As long as you're workin' here, you'll do as I say.

And I'm telling you to get on your horse and start herding cattle.

If you got different ideas, go in the bunkhouse

and get your gear 'cause you're through!

All right. I like working here, so I'll herd cattle.

But let me tell you something, Trampas.

I also like walking around on my two feet...

My head up, where I want, and when I want.

And not this job or any other is worth losing that.

Jory!

Howdy, Ben.

Mary. Dave.

You lanky Welshman, you. Well, you sawed-off coal miner, you.

How you doin'? Fine. How are you?

All right. What's all this?

Them's our belongings. Everything we could take anyway.

- What about the ranch? - We sold it.

I thought you were doin' pretty well, Jory.

Oh, I was. The ranch was startin' to pay for itself after five years.

Then why'd you sell?

Things just started to go wrong. I...

I had some brush fires and I lost some of my equipment.

Cattle gettin' sick, dyin'.

I don't know. I...

I guess I was lucky to get what I did for it.

How much did you get?

- Two dollars an acre. Five dollars a head. - What?

But your spread was worth 10 times that, maybe more. You knew that.

We knew it, but it didn't make any difference.

Then why'd you take it?

Dave, I didn't have no choice. I...

Well, a few days after things started to go wrong,

this man showed up and offered to buy the ranch.

I told him I wasn't interested. Didn't even want to discuss it.

He said it might be wise for me to think it over.

Then he left.

Well, a short time later, this big fire broke out up in Indian Canyon.

I had 20 head grazing up there. Couldn't save a-one of 'em.

The very next day, he came back.

Only this time, he offered me even less.

Said if I didn't... I didn't sell, pretty

soon there wouldn't be anything left to sell.

- What'd you do? - Pa chased him off with his shotgun.

Yeah, I did that, all right.

Things kept happenin'. Kept gettin' worse and worse.

Pretty soon, I just... didn't have any choice.

You could get a bank loan, start up again.

No. I'm through with ranchin', Dave.

I gave it five good years, ate a lot of dirt. What have I got to show for it?

And if you go back to the mines?

Well, they can't steal it from you if you don't own it, can they?

I think you're makin' a mistake, Jory. You're a good rancher.

You're not thinkin' of going straight on to Pennsylvania, are you?

No. We figured a stay overnight in Medicine Bow. Mary and the boy are tired.

I'll talk to Elizabeth. She'll want you to stay here.

Oh, really, we wouldn't want to impose.

You're not imposin'. The Graingers are away. There's plenty of room.

Besides, Trampas will want to say good-bye. He's in town.

Thank you. We're much obliged.

Ben, come on down.

Ho! Ben, you're growin' like a weed in an alfalfa patch.

- How'd you get paid for the ranch? - Oh, it was a bank draft.

Oh, it was good, if that's what you're

thinkin'. Bank cashed it without any trouble.

Who signed it? Do you remember?

Oh, I don't think I'll ever forget that. A man named Buchanan.

Grant Buchanan.

♪♪

Trampas.

That hired hand of yours,

you figured out what he's gonna be doin' yet?

He's just goin' about his business.

Maybe that's what you should do. I am.

It's my business to find my son's killer and make him pay for his crime.

You a bettin' man, Trampas?

No. That's too bad.

'Cause I'm willin' to bet a hundred dollars...

that Sutton gets what he deserves...

His restin' place.

And I'll give another hundred dollars to the man who proves me right.

There's your answer, Mr. Buchanan.

Now why don't you ride on.

You tell Sutton that I'll be waitin' for him.

I got all the time in the world. You tell him that! Hear me?

Tell him that.

Grant Buchanan?

Are you sure that's his name, Jory?

Well, sure as I am my own. Why? You people know him?

I wish we didn't.

Dave caught his son trespassing.

When he asked him to leave, the boy drew, and Dave had to kill him.

Now his old man's in town waiting to get even.

Well, you stay out here.

That's what we've been trying to tell him.

Now you listen. If he's anything like his son was,

he's pure stubborn, and he's mean.

And what am I supposed to do,

let him tell me where to go, what to do?

If that shootin' was my fault, I'm willin' to face up to it.

But I'm not gonna spend my life hidin'.

Sometimes that's better than no life at all.

You don't mean that, Jory.

Yes, I do.

Sure, I remember when I was workin' in the

mines, I wouldn't let anybody push me around...

The mine boss, the owner, nobody!

But you change, Dave. You get older...

and you get smarter.

I also remember how you hated those mines.

How you always talked about pulling up stakes and heading west.

And you did it!

And I remember the letters, Jory, telling me how good it was breathing fresh air,

working on top of the ground instead of underneath it.

Working for yourself instead of the company mine.

You're gonna give all that up, go back underground?

Yes, I am!

Do you know what it's like to see everything

you worked for burnt up and killed off?

Everything you broke your back for destroyed?

And what about your family? Dave, I got a wife and a son in there.

Don't you think I care about them?

Don't you think they mean a lot more to me than any... any ranch?

Now, when you know what it's like, we'll talk about it.

I'm sorry, Jory.

I'm sorry!

Trampas, there's something you gotta see.

You better come too.

Well, what do you make of it? I don't see any signs of disease.

Of course, you can't always tell just by lookin'. What about the others?

Well, now that I think about it, they were actin' kind of strange.

- What do you mean? - Losing their balance, stumbling.

I didn't think much about it at the time, but after seeing this...

Dave, you and Jean go out and cut out the ones that look sick.

I'll send for the vet. All right.

I can tell you what it is, Trampas.

- It's poison. - Poison? How do you know?

I saw it with some of mine. It was right after

Buchanan made his first offer on my ranch.

Things are going wrong around here, that's for sure.

I tell you, they're gonna get worse. Even if you're right,

and it is Buchanan's work, I can't do anything about it until I get some proof.

You better get it pretty soon while you still have a ranch.

You find any more sick cattle? More than sick. Dead.

How many? Three. The ones Jean told us about.

Jory thinks it's poison. Buchanan's work.

He did it to mine. Killed six head.

- How? - Somebody got in and poisoned the feed.

Well, if that's the case here, why just four?

The others ate the same thing. Maybe they didn't eat enough.

It takes longer to work on some than it does others.

Dave, you better destroy the feed that's out. Only save some for the vet to examine.

And I want a guard around the entire ranch, 24 hours!

I'll get right on it.

Six men head south, go up on north. Keep your eyes open.

David? Goin' for a ride?

Not unless you are. No. I got too much to do.

Do you want some company?

Oh, I can manage.

Elizabeth, you're not here to keep an eye on me, are you?

- Trampas send you? - He didn't try and stop me.

Well, you tell the top hand that David Sutton's still here.

You saw him walkin' along with his head on the ground...

looking over his shoulder every time he heard a noise.

You tell him that, Elizabeth.

David.

It's not only Trampas that's worried... it's all of us.

I'm sorry, Elizabeth.

But can't you understand that the longer I stay away from town, away from Buchanan,

the guiltier I feel about killin' his son?

But look what the Buchanans did to Jory.

The father. We don't know that Case had anything to do with it.

Even if he did, I didn't know it when I shot him.

Elizabeth, you can't kill somebody...

and feel better about it just because you find something to dislike about him.

You killed him because he was going to kill you.

The way I feel, I'm not even sure about that anymore.

I buried your brother this mornin'.

Now take a good look at it, Lorne. Case never had a chance to use it.

Remember how he died and who killed him.

Let me go get him now... No, no, no. There are too many men out there at Shiloh.

I don't want anything to happen to you. You're all I got now.

No, we'll wait and he'll come to us.

But what if he doesn't? He will.

We're gonna see to it...

and so will this town of Medicine Bow.

Now I ask ya,

does it seem fair that this Sutton,

this man who killed my son,

should be goin' about his business out there at Shiloh...

just like nothin' happened?

Well, I bet some of you knew my boy.

Maybe some of you even had a drink with him.

You know what some men would do in a case like this?

Men of means,

men who love their sons like...

nothing on Earth?

They'd hire themselves a small army of guns...

and they'd ride that army right through the center of this town and bury it.

No. No, that's not my way.

You people,

you understand.

You're the kind of folks that I'd be...

proud to have as neighbors.

And I'm sure that you people know...

about what has to be done.

I don't wanna see innocent people hurt,

but I'm not gonna leave this town until my son's... death is paid for.

Case's brother arrived in town.

He's a gunfighter.

No matter what Buchanan says about him, that's all he is. How do you know?

I heard some men talk.

They know his reputation.

Besides, all you have to do is look at him.

So, he's a gunfighter. What am I supposed to do? Stay away from town.

He's waiting for you. You wouldn't stand a chance.

I heard you've gotten kind of friendly with Grant Buchanan.

It's my job to be friendly with anyone who buys a drink at the Rocky Mountain Saloon.

I just don't want to see anyone hurt.

That makes two of us.

Then you won't go into town?

I'm not sure yet.

I still can't decide whether I pushed Case harder than I had to.

Well, why would you have pushed him?

A lot of reasons.

Too many to go into.

But if I did,

I've gotta turn myself over to the sheriff for a hearing.

Let a coroner's jury decide once and for all.

As long as Buchanan's in town, you might never get to the sheriff's office.

"Close your eyes, David, and the wicked witch of Wales will disappear."

What?

My mother used to tell me that when I was a small boy.

Nights when I couldn't sleep because of evil spirits invading my room,

she'd tell me to close my eyes and they'd go away.

Did they?

I guess so. They were never there in the morning.

But I have a feeling the Buchanans will be.

Don't worry.

They'll have to leave sometime.

When this is over, come by and I'll buy you a drink.

No.

I'll buy you one.

And thanks.

I'll be waiting.

♪♪

How long we gonna wait? Until he comes to us.

Let me go get him now, so we can get on with our business.

I gave you my reasons, Lorne.

I could go out at night. And get yourself killed?

I won't chance it. We'll wait.

Whatever you say. That's the boy.

And what I say right now is, I say we get Ellen over here to have a drink with us.

She looks kinda taken up.

She can't be too taken up for us.

Ellen!

How 'bout coming over and having a drink with us?

Sure, Mr. Buchanan. Hold it, Ellen. You're with me.

I'll be back, Matt. No, let 'em wait.

I had to wait my turn. Matt, please.

I'll buy you just as many drinks. Matt, it isn't that.

We're having a good time. Matt, I said I'd be back.

Maybe you didn't hear my pa ask to buy the lady a drink, cowboy!

I heard him. Matt, don't make trouble.

I'm not, Ellen. It's just you got as much right with me as anyone,

as long as I can still pay for the drinks.

Now you listen.

We don't like your kind around here, tellin' lies about good people.

I know Dave Sutton. I knew your son.

And if Dave killed him, he did it for a good reason.

The way that kid was acting, I knew he was

gonna get himself killed anyway sooner or later.

- So you're gonna stand up for Sutton? - Somebody's got to.

You got a big mouth, cowboy. You got anything to back it up?

I'm not afraid to fight, if that's what you mean.

That's what I mean. Matt, don't!

I can't let him push me around, Ellen.

Any time you're ready, cowboy.

What's the matter, your mouth got you in trouble?

You know, Pa, the way he's startin' to shake, I might just miss him.

What is it, cowboy?

You lost your guts, or didn't you have any to begin with?

That's enough, Lorne. You got him beat.

You shoot him now, it'll almost be murder.

And we don't want anyone calling us murderers.

You're right, Pa.

The thing is, this cowboy's standing up for a murderer.

- I said that's enough, Lorne! - He still needs a lesson.

Then maybe Sutton will come in and stand up for himself.

Turn around.

Turn around!

Now the cowboy looks a little smarter than before.

Ellen, my pa wants to buy you a drink.

Sure, Lorne.

And now drinks for everyone. There's no use wastin' the evening.

Bartender.

I'm going into town and turn myself over to the sheriff.

David, I'm telling you for the last time, you can't!

I can and I have to.

If I've done somethin' wrong, I've got to

be the one to pay for it, not somebody else.

That's just what Buchanan wants.

He figures if he causes enough trouble in town, you'll come riding in.

And you'll never reach the sheriff's office.

All right, then he'll get me!

But not somebody for me!

I don't want anybody getting killed on my account. Would you?

Tell me, Trampas, what would you do if you were in my place?

The same as me.

I just got the report on the dead cattle. And it's poison, all right.

The feed? No, there wasn't any trace of it there.

The doc said it might have been in the water. Then why just four head?

Dave, wait a second.

When you ran into Case, I sent you on the east range, after those strays.

Yeah. What about it?

The next morning, we found all four of 'em by the water hole.

Maybe Case wasn't filling his canteen at all.

Maybe he was pouring something into the water, like poison.

That's right. He forgot his canteen,

and when I went to pick it up, he drew his gun.

Chances are he was afraid you might find out what he was up to.

Jean, hightail it out to that water hole. Bring back a sample.

There might be a trace of poison left. Now get going.

Well, if Buchanan did poison that water,

he's not gonna leave after he tries to kill you.

He's gonna try and take over this ranch,

just like Jory thinks he took over his.

Now, look, Dave, I don't want you going into

town unless we get more proof. You hear me?

All right. I just hope it won't be too late.

You're welcome to stay longer, Jory. That's kind of you, Trampas.

But we better get started if we're ever gonna get there.

Take care of yourself, Jory. You too.

And I'd still think twice about going back to those mines.

I have, a lot more than twice.

Now you remember what I told you about that Buchanan. You watch out for him.

We will. And thanks again.

Y'all really been good friends. You're welcome.

Giddyap!

How long you been here? Long enough to watch you work that horse.

That's a beautiful animal.

He looks that way now, but I had a few other

thoughts about him when I was workin' him.

Took a long time? Well, not really.

My bones sure feel it though.

Sooner or later, all the horses get broken, don't they?

Sooner or later.

Hmm. That's too bad.

I think if something wants to be free bad enough, it should be.

If I owned a ranch, I wouldn't break any animal that didn't want to be broken.

- Just how would you know that? - Well, you'd get two tries, no more.

And if you failed, I'd open the corral gate.

I'll have to suggest that to Mr. Grainger.

And the same for people. They have to be free too.

Are you, Ellen?

Free, I mean?

In some ways. Not as much as I'd like.

But you'd like to settle down, raise a family.

Doesn't sound much like being free to me.

Well, I'd be free from being hurt. That's the important thing.

I guess you heard what happened last night in the saloon.

I heard. It wasn't my fault. I wanted you to know that.

I never thought it was.

I tried warning Matt not to fight with him.

Well, Matt's a stubborn man. It's a good thing he wasn't killed.

David, there's been some talk going around town.

That's why I came out here today.

What kind of talk?

Some of the men are saying that you're a coward,

that you're afraid to face Buchanan.

They're talking about coming out here to get you.

Turn you over to him.

They think if they do that, Buchanan will move on.

Maybe they're right, about me.

- You're no coward. - Aren't I?

I've been going around for days saying I didn't want any more killin'.

Maybe what I really mean is I don't wanna take a chance...

on getting myself killed. Nobody wants to die, David.

No, and I'm no different.

Sure, I wish I hadn't killed Case.

I still don't know exactly why it happened.

But if I decide I was at fault,

I should turn myself over to the sheriff.

Will I have the stomach to go into town?

I don't know, Ellen. I honestly don't know.

Ellen, do you know what Case was doin' when I found him out here?

He said he was going hunting. Why?

There's a chance he was trying to poison one of our water holes.

He might have had the poison in his canteen.

Maybe I can help you prove that. How?

I have his canteen and some things in my room.

After Buchanan buried him, he gave them to me.

Wanted me to have some keepsakes of his son. I didn't wanna refuse them.

Good. I'll send Jean down to get it.

The hotel, room 21.

Be careful. Don't worry.

No one's watching me.

That's them. That's the Buchanans.

How do you know?

See the way everybody shies away from 'em?

It's the only ones that could be.

♪♪

You get the supplies, Mary. I'll be back in a minute.

Where are you going?

A man's got a right to get himself a cold beer...

before he starts halfway across the world, doesn't he?

Yes, I... I guess he does.

Ben, you go with your mother. All right, Pa.

Come on, Ben.

Mary.

You buy the boy a candy stick.

Yes, of course. Come on, Ben.

♪♪

Give me a beer.

Mr. Buchanan?

You are Mr. Buchanan, aren't you?

That's right. What can I do for you?

I just wanted to meet the man that stole my ranch from me.

Kincaid. Jory Kincaid.

Mr. Kincaid, I think you made a mistake.

I didn't steal your ranch. I bought it. Paid good hard cash.

You didn't pay enough for the sweat on it!

I made you an offer. You accepted it.

Well, I didn't have no choice.

Burnt fields, poisoned cattle. A man can just stand so much bad luck.

And maybe somebody helped it along.

Those are harsh words, and you can't prove them.

No.

No, I can't prove 'em.

One day, though, somebody will prove it.

And you'll be nothing, Mr. Buchanan!

Someday a man will destroy you.

You like to take a try, Kincaid?

You like to take that gun off and ask me that?

He could be trouble.

I'll see that he isn't.

Kincaid!

You had a lot to say in there.

Now let's see if you got the guts to back it up.

I think you're a coward, Jory.

A gutless coward. Jory!

Stay back!

Why don't you show your boy, Jory, that you're a man?

You hear that, boy? I'm sayin' your pa's a coward,

and he ain't got the guts to do anything about it.

Do you, Jory? Don't, Jory. Don't listen to him.

- Mary! - Listen to your woman, Jory.

Maybe she should carry that gun, much good as it does you.

- He's a gunfighter. - But the boy!

- He needs his father alive. - But he can see what's happenin'!

He'll understand.

You're a coward, Jory.

You ain't got the guts of a scared rabbit.

You see your pa, boy?

Are you proud of that?

Ben, tell your pa he's not a coward,

that you love him and need him.

Tell him!

Ben!

There's your answer, Kincaid.

Even your boy knows what you are.

Now why don't you prove to him you're a man.

You see that, boy?

Your father is a coward! You remember that.

He kept calling him a coward, right in front of the boy.

All Jory could do was just stand there and listen.

At least he's still alive. Yeah, he's still alive, all right.

But I wouldn't want to be in his place for anything in the world.

You should have seen the way his son looked at him.

Did you take a sample of what was in this canteen to the chemist?

He's gonna compare it with the water from the east range.

David, where are you going?

To see the sheriff. You can't.

And I can't go on letting people get hurt because of me.

I grew up with Jory, and now look what I've done to him.

So we'll have a hearing, and maybe we'll settle this thing.

They won't let you make it to the sheriff.

I won't be wearing a gun.

And if Grant Buchanan wants to try to beat me to death with his hands,

well, I'm ready to let him try.

David!

At least wait for Trampas. He'd go with you.

I've got to do this by myself, Elizabeth. Waited too long already.

Giddyap!

Sutton's comin' into town. When?

He should be here soon. I rode like the devil to get here first.

Is he coming in alone? As far as I know.

I'd say he was right upset about that Kincaid fella.

I don't care what his reasons are, as long as he's comin' in.

- One more thing, Pa. That Ellen... - What about Ellen?

I saw her talking to one of the Shiloh hands this morning outside the hotel.

She was partial to Sutton before Case came along.

Maybe she still is.

Steve, why don't you ride over to the east range.

You two fellas take that hill up there. Keep a sharp lookout.

Trampas!

David's gone into town.

Who is it? Grant Buchanan.

I want to talk to you, Ellen. I was just getting ready for work, Mr. Buchanan.

Go right ahead. I won't get in your way.

You've got a nice room here. Real nice.

Clean, bright.

Go on. Do what you have to do. I said I wouldn't get in your way.

I was only brushing my hair. Go on. Go on.

♪♪

My wife always wanted one of these.

But I could never afford it.

I used to tell her, "Wait. One day."

Now I guess I can buy the best one ever made.

But what for?

That's the funny thing about life. Nothing ever comes at the right time.

♪♪

Take yourself for instance, Ellen.

Maybe if you met Case another time,

somewhere else,

you might have grown to like him, maybe even love him.

But you met him here, now,

and there wasn't even time enough for you to get to know him.

You're a pretty girl, Ellen.

I thought you were a nice girl, too,

until someone told me they saw you talking to one of the Shiloh hands.

Why, Ellen? Why did you do it?

What'd you have to say to him?

Please, Mr. Buchanan.

Tell me! He wanted Case's canteen!

- Why did you give it to him? - 'Cause I didn't want to see Sutton die.

- He's good and he's decent! - And what about my son?

He was just like you. He liked to hurt people

and take things from them. He was mean!

That's right, Mr. Buchanan.

He was just like you.

You wasted your time, Ellen.

Sutton's riding into town now, and Lorne is waiting for him.

Get your hands off me! And you're gonna have to watch him die!

Leave me alone!

Hold it!

My name is Lorne Buchanan. You killed my brother.

Now you gotta face up to me.

I didn't come here for that. I'm not wearing a gun.

I noticed. But you know we ain't leaving while you're still livin'.

Those friends of yours, um, Clayton and Kincaid...

They sure wish we'd have left.

How many more friends you got in this town, cowboy? Maybe that saloon girl, Ellen?

She your friend too?

Yeah, she'll break a little easier than the other two.

I came here to see the sheriff, and that's just what I'm gonna do.

And when he hears about that poisoned canteen of your brother's,

you might just be leaving town anyway.

You hold it! Or I'll kill ya, gun or no gun!

Dave!

He's going to the sheriff's office, Buchanan.

Now if you wanna stop him, you're gonna have to go through me.

- What, do you wash behind his ears too? - No need to push me, mister.

If you're plannin' on makin' a move, make it!

They were my life.

Everything I did was for them.

Everything.

Including this, Buchanan. Including this.

Everything back to normal?

Just about.

I'm, uh, leaving in the morning.

Where to? Oh, wherever I feel like getting off the stage.

Open the corral gate, let that horse that won't be broken run free?

That's right.

Like your wicked witch, David.

Only when I'm scared, I don't close my eyes, I run.

What are you afraid of, Ellen?

Wanting what I can't have.

To the witch.