All language subtitles for Man.in.the.Shadow.1957.1080p

Don't forget
to get that haircut.

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, Ben, what do you want
for dinner tonight?

- I don't know.
- Anything.

Anything but liver.

The girls are coming over
this afternoon.

See you tonight.

'Mornin', Ben.

- Oh, hi, herb.
- Hot one, huh?

- Yeah, looks like it.
- All set for Saturday?

Yeah, they bitin'?

Mort Williams got
a four-pounder yesterday.

- Count me in.
- Fine!

Morning, Ben.

Morning, ab.

Another hot one, eh?

Yeah, looks like it.

Radio says it's gonna be 110.

I wouldn't be surprised
if it goes higher.

- Did you let Hank out yet?
- No, not yet.

Thought you might
wanna read him off.

Want to post that for me
when you get a minute?

Who's it for? - What difference does
it make? - He wouldn't come here anyhow.

You want Hank now?

Yeah, might as well.

- Anything else?
- No.

Sure could use a new fan.

Yeah.

All right, Hank, my boy,
you're being evicted.

Oh, really?

What's the idea of
comin' around so early?

Come on, you old bum.

Go on, go on.
We haven't got all day.

Good morning, sheriff.

Well, Hank,
what's the excuse this time?

It ain't the season
for catching cold.

Oh, no, no. No cold.

It's my leg.
Shrapnel I got in France.

Hurts somethin' terrible
this time of year.

Uh-hm.

Hank, what are you gonna do
when we start charging you rent?

Well, I don't reckon
I'll be able to pay, sheriff.

Sure you could.

We got a stretch of ditch
out along the empire road

needs a lot of digging.

Now maybe I could
persuade judge McCullough

to let you have 10 days on it.

Oh, no.

You wouldn't do
a thing like that.

Well, next time
we pick you up drunk,

I'm gonna have to see to it.

Well, doggone it, Hank.

You're gonna get yourself killed
one of these days

if you keep getting boozed up.

Now I mean what I say. Next time
we bring you in, you're gonna take

a sweat treatment
out along the road.

You understand?

All right, sheriff.

Not even a little teeny one
to kill the pain?

Sufferin' will be good for you.

Now get out!

- Yes, sir.
- Thank you, sheriff.

Oh, and thanks
for the use of the bed.

- I don't know, Ben.
- You're too easy on him.

No.

No, Hank hits the jug too much,
but he don't hurt anybody but himself.

Senor sheriff?

- Doggone.
- Forgot all about this fella.

He was here when I opened up.

What can I do for you?

You are the sheriff?

- That's right.
- Who are you?

My name is
Jesus cisneros, senor.

I have my friend, senor,
who is gone.

My friend Juan Martin.

You... you want to report
a missing man?

Si, senior, but I do not think
he's just a little lost.

I think maybe he's dead.

Go ahead and sit down.

Give him that chair, will you?

Let's start all over again.
Cisneros, you say.

You live in town?

- No, senor.
- On the rancho.

Golden empire?

Si, senor.

All right, cisneros.

Now what's this
about your friend?

He is Juan Martin, senor.

We work on the rancho together
for many months,

and we are friends,

even though Juan is to me
more like a son.

So young and strong.
I know him well.

- All right, just...
- Just tell me what happened, huh?

Senior sheriff,
I tell you these things

so you will know
that Juanito is not a man

to run away one night
without a word.

You know how many braceros
work at the ranch?

Uh, I never gave it any thought.

Maybe 400, perhaps 500.

A great many, and it is not
a good place to work.

Why do you work there?

A man must work.

Sometimes it is that a man
must work in the sun for another

and be paid a little.

Sometimes a man
must live like a dog

and not complain like a dog,

but senores, a man is not a dog.

Even if the patron thinks
a man is a dog,

this does not make him one,
not even on the golden empire.

Look, cisneros, I ain't the state employment
service, and I don't like speeches.

You got something to tell me,
get on with it, eh?

The senor yates,
comprende, the foreman?

Yeah.

- He does not like Juan.
- I do not know why.

Last night,
he and the sefrior huneker

came to the bunkhouse
as Juan washed himself

and took him outside.

I am an old man, senor,
and I have seen many things,

and I know a bad thing
when I see it.

Last night when they took
Juanito from the bunkhouse,

it was a bad thing.

They took him to the tool room
of the barn.

I am a man of peace, senor.

I cause no trouble,

but I followed them
and waited outside.

Senor, they beat him.

With their fists,
they beat him until he bled.

I watched.

Maybe they had good reason.
Maybe this Martin kid stepped outta line.

It's not my business
how they run their ranch.

But Juan hit the senor yates
to defend himself,

and the senor yates
went loco, wild, sefior,

and he picked up
the handle of a pick.

Oh, I have seen many things,
and I have seen death,

and Juan Martin died last night.

Ben, you're not going to
take this seriously.

Hmmm, wait a minute.

They pay me
to take people seriously.

People, sure. But you know how this
story will go over at the ranch.

You can't go around accusing
virg renchler's boys of murder.

Not even a bracero's murder.

You're making
a pretty important charge

against some
pretty important people.

You know that.

Si, senor. I know that a bracero does not
expect much from the law.

You listen to him, Ben,
and you're sure not gonna make

a friend outta virg renchler.

I'll tell you
what probably happened.

Some of those dirt diggers
down there got into a fight

and this old coot came up here
trying to get out from under it.

All right, cisneros.

I'll try to find your friend.

You're making a mistake, Ben.

Look, in this office,
I'm the judge of that.

Let's not forget it.

You will find what
they did to Juan Martin?

Now I doubt if anything
happened to him.

Yates probably had this Martin
beat up and thrown off the ranch.

I can't be expected to track
down every bracero in the county.

- Si, senor.
- I'll get in touch with you.

Gracias, senior.

Oh, you probably ain't going
back to the ranch.

Where'd you be staying?

With my friend, aiken Clay.

Aiken Clay.

Sefior, to be honest,

I did not think
you would help me.

For that,
I am sorry and ashamed.

Well, if it turns out to be
a false alarm,

you won't feel so grateful.

- Wait a minute, Ben.
- Come here.

You say they killed this Martin.

How do you know he's dead?

Did you feel his pulse?

Did you hold a mirror
up to his mouth?

Did you go near him?

No. I am not a brave man.

I ran, senor.
I ran from the ranch.

I was afraid.

All right.

There you are.

Senor sheriff, have you ever
killed a steer for a barbecue?

No, but I've seen it done.

When they kill the steer,

you recall
that they hit it on the head

with a sledgehammer?

You have heard a sound
like a melon splitting?

Yeah.

It was this sound
I heard, sefor,

when senor yates hit Juanito.

It was a pick handle
he hit him with.

If a man is given a pick handle,
he can kill a bull.

Ben...

Yeah?

- Open up.
- I wanna see Mr. renchler.

- Is that a fact?
- He wanna see you?

He might.

I don't know nothin' about it.

You might learn
something about it.

Why don't you go to the phone
and tell Mr. renchler

Ben sadler's
got business with him?

Oh, you're the sheriff.

We don't get many sheriffs
out this way.

Well, you've got one now.

You wait a minute and I'll call.

He ain't expectin' you, is he?

Not that I know of.

Okay. I'll let him know.

Okay.

You must be a mighty
important man, sheriff.

You're the first lawman
goin' through these gates

since I've been here now.

It's about four miles
right on up the road.

I been there before.

Uh, Mr. renchler said
to remind you

to stick on the road.

This here's a mighty big spread.

He don't like for people to go
wanderin' all over the place.

Makes the stock nervous,
he says.

Makes the stock nervous.

That's what he says.

Shouldn't take you more than
five or six minutes.

They'll be lookin' for you.

Yeah.

- Down, Rocco.
- Down boy.

Down, Rocco. Down boy.

We weren't expectin'
visitors today, sheriff.

I wasn't expecting to come out.

Mr. renchler's waitin' for you
in his office.

Stay, Rocco. Stay. Stay boy.

Sheriff...

I didn't know
we were having visitors today.

G'morning, miss renchler.

- He ain't a visitor, skippy.
- It's business.

What kind of business
brings sheriff sadler

all the way out here?

Well, nothing important.

It's so dull out here
that anybody at all is exciting.

Oh, I didn't mean it
the way it sounds.

That's all right.

The boss is waitin'.

Yeah. It's been real nice
seein' you, miss renchler.

Uh, come in.

Yours sincerely, et cetera.

All right. Take a letter to
the reverend Dr. hill.

Dear reverend, I am presumed
to advise the minutes

to the lord...

Hi, sheriff.
Be with you in just a minute.

But regarding that matter
we were discussing,

if you can see your way clear,
I think your orphanage

can count on an additional
donation of uh,

$25,000 by Christmas,
payable of course

through the Angus renchler
memorial foundation.

Yours very sincerely, et cetera.

Thank you, sheriff.

Haven't seen you since
you got yourself elected.

Have a cigar?

No. No, thank you.

Sit down, sit down.

Thank you.

I'd, uh, hate to come out here
when that dog of yours

is loose in the yard.

Oh, Rocco?

He's pretty mean,
but he keeps visitors away.

Unwelcome ones, of course.

Not all of them.

You'll have to excuse ed,
sheriff.

He's a little edgy.
He's been waiting for me

to clear up that payroll
since early morning.

Uh, I'll only be a few minutes,
Mr. renchler.

L, uh, I wonder if I could
speak to you alone.

- Sure.
- You can excuse us a minute, ed?

Don't go too far away.

Mr. renchler,
do you have a young fellow

named Martin working for you?

Sheriff, I've got four
or five hundred braceros

working for me,
besides my hands.

He's supposed to be about 18 or 19 years
old, a stoop laborer.

I don't keep track
of the stoop laborers.

There are too many of them.

I wonder if you would
check up on it.

See if he's here.

- Martin, you say?
- That's right.

What's he wanted for?

Well, he's not wanted for anything.
You see, I got a report

that he was beaten up here
on the ranch last night.

- Hmmpf. Why that...
- That's ridiculous, sheriff.

You know we don't allow
any fighting on this ranch.

Besides, a thing like that,
I would have heard about it.

I understand.

I don't say there's anything
to this story,

but well, it's my job.

I've got to check up on it.

Hmmm. That's right.

Sure you do.

I tell you what, I'll get
ed yates to check into it.

That way you won't be
wasting your time.

- Drink?
- No. No thank you.

Well, that would cause kind of
a problem, Mr. renchler.

- You see...
- Oh?

The fact of the matter
is the story has it that

yates killed this boy.

You trying to be funny, sheriff?

No, sir.

Who could have told you that
kind of cock 'n' bull story?

The old man
who has a bunk next to...

Uh, let me put it to you
straight, Mr. renchler.

The man who told me this story

says he saw your man yates
and another one of your hands

take this boy Martin
into your tool room

and beat him.

Maybe kill him.

Uh, I'm not saying
there's any truth to the story.

Maybe Martin isn't dead.

The way all you folks
are acting, maybe he is.

Somebody's lying.
I gotta find out who.

- Hmmm.
- You go ahead and find out

anything you want, sheriff.

Just don't come bothering me.

I got no time to worry
about some drunken bracero.

- I'm not investigating a drunk.
- I'm investigating a murder.

No, you're not!

You're looking
for a missing wetback.

Sheriff, even if
he should turn up dead,

you could hardly
call that murder.

I reckon I can't expect
much help here, can I?

Sheriff, you're wearing
a nice shiny new badge.

Maybe you outta read
what it says on the badge.

It says you got yourself elected
sheriff of bingham county,

not boss of
the golden empire ranch.

Ben, I don't want to
have to go tough on you,

but I wonder if you got any idea
of the size of this operation.

Why over in Europe,
there's five or six countries

aren't as big as this ranch.

That means that I'm the one

that's got to enforce
the law around here.

A place as big as this,

you got to do things
a special way.

- Special way?
- Your way, you mean?

It was my father's way, sadler,
and his father.

A pretty good way. Works.

We never had any trouble with
the law at the golden empire.

We never gonna...
As long as I do the enforcing.

You remember that...

And you can wear
that new star of yours

for a long time.

Mr. renchler, I know
what a big man you are,

how big the golden empire is.

Right now, that doesn't mean
a thing to me.

I'm investigating
a charge of murder,

and I don't like anyone,
not even you, trying to stop me.

- Trying?
- I'm not trying anything, sadler.

I'm telling you.

I don't like to have to
put it to you this way,

but you've asked for it.

You give me any more trouble,

and bingham county's
gonna have a new sheriff.

Got it?

You can push your wetbacks
and your white trash around

all you want to,
but don't try it on me.

I missed!

We sure got ourselves
a big mouth

for a sheriff this time,
didn't we?

- Uh-hm.
- Ed, did you kill that boy?

Answer me!

- It was an accident.
- These things happen.

I said to teach that boy
a lesson.

I didn't tell you to kill him.

I told you it was an accident.

Too late to do anything
about it.

Hmmpf. Skippy
still around the house?

Yeah.

Gonna have to keep skippy
out of sight for a while.

- What for?
- What for? Use your head.

Didn't you tell me
Martin was hanging around her?

- Uh-huh.
- Uh-huh.

Well, I guess I'm going to
have to get you off the hook.

Don't bother. Chet's
takin' care of it right now.

Well, great. If he takes care of it the way
you took care of Martin...

We're all in trouble,

and just when I got my hands
full with a cotton crop.

All right.
Get me commissioner Parker.

Where?
At the courthouse, you idiot.

Herb? It's virg here. Hiya, boy.

Uh, listen, herb.

There's a little something
I'd like you to do for me.

Well, there's no place
like it on the border.

Give me juarez anytime.

- No place like it for women.
- That's a fact.

I'm goin' down again
next month so I can recover.

So, you're back already, huh?

Yep.

You know Chet huneker
from the empire.

Hi, sheriff.

Hello, Chet.

- Go ahead, Chet.
- You better tell him.

Well, there wasn't nothin'
I could have done, sheriff.

What are you talkin' about?

I was drivin' this load of salt
in from sonora this mornin'

about 8 or 9 o'clock.

Out of town here
about 11 or 12 miles,

you know, out by the dunes,

I see a boy who comes
weavin' out across the road

drunker than a skunk.

And you hit him?

I swear, I couldn't help it,
sheriff.

The boy was drunk. I hit him.

Driven about 15 feet
before I could stop.

It looks like the Martin boy,
all right, Ben.

We just brought him
into Jake kelley's back room

deader than a coot.

I told you you couldn't believe
that old guy.

He lied in his teeth.

Come on, Chet,
I'll take your statement.

Now, Chet said
it was an accident.

He works for the golden empire.
Who's gonna contradict him?

Yeah.

He gave the sheriff a statement.

That's all there is to it.
There's nothing...

Oh...

I wish you'd knock
before you come in, honey.

- Can I see you a minute, dad?
- Alone.

- It's important.
- I'm kind of busy.

Ed.

I'll be right outside.

- I just don't like that man.
- Nah, he's all right.

Ed's a pretty good foreman.

But sometimes,
the way he looks at me...

Nah, that's just
your imagination, honey.

Dad, I just phoned the stable.

But old Pablo wouldn't let me
have a horse.

He said you left orders
not to let me have one.

Why?

Well, oh, he's just doing
what I told him, honey.

But I always ride
in the morning.

I know, skippy, but...

Just for a while,
I wish you'd stick

pretty close to the house.

- What is it, dad?
- What's going on around here?

- Nothing's going on!
- Just do what I tell you.

Now look here, little rancher,
you're not fooling anyone.

You're worried.
I can see right through you.

What's wrong?

Well, it's nothing
for you to bother

your pretty little head about.

Just do what I tell you
and stay close to the house.

I got work to do.
Tell ed to come back here.

The sheriff was out here
earlier.

Yeah. Does he have anything to do
with whatever is wrong?

Skippy!

What did he want?

- Who?
- The sheriff.

Oh, it's no concern
of yours, honey.

- Dad, last night...
- Last night after I was in bed,

I heard something.

At least I think I did.

What did you hear?

- Then I didn't just imagine it!
- 1 did hear it.

I'm asking you
what you think you heard.

I heard a scream.

- You must have been dreaming.
- I heard it!

You were dreaming, skippy.

- Ed!
- I did hear it!

Now don't ask me
to say it again.

I don't like repeating myself.

It was all a dream.

Hmm?

Now you get on to your room.

- I'm... sorry, miss skippy.
- I got strict orders.

Oh!

I thought your old man
told you to stay in your room.

Yates, let me go!

You outta call me ed
seein' how we're so close.

- Let me go!
- I've got to get into town.

- Your dad's the boss.
- I only carry out orders, honey.

Ed, let me...

I've got to get into town
for personal reasons.

Some things
a girl just has to do.

I don't know.

You haven't been
very friendly with me.

Sometimes I don't mind
doin' favors for a friend.

I need a friend right now.

Look, honey...

I'm going down to the gate,
relieve bill edmunds for chow.

You come on down in
about five minutes, you hear?

You be a good girl...
I'll let you through.

We're gonna get along just fine.

Now I want you to tell me if this
is Juan Martin, you understand?

Just tell me if this is the boy.

Si. I will tell.

Is that Martin?

Pobrecito!

Si. That is Juan Martin...

My friend.

Senor, what did they do to him?

Why?

Why did they do this
to him, sheriff?

What's he mean by that, Ben?

So far, I can't prove
they did anything.

But I was there, senor.

I saw it happen with these eyes!

We... we might as well
face facts, cisneros.

Right now, it'd be your word
against renchler and his people.

You know what your chances
of being believed would be?

And that ain't all.

A man came into my office
a little while ago.

He says he ran Martin down
on the highway this morning.

- What man?
- Who could lie so?

Chet huneker.

But, senor, he was the man.

He was with the senor yates
when it happened.

I saw him as I see you.

Is he trying to say
that ed yates killed this boy?

That's what he says.

Why, that's crazy!

- No, senor.
- It is the truth!

What's wrong with you to even
listen to that kind of talk.

Now Chet huneker says
he hit him on the road.

A man don't admit to a thing
like that unless he did it.

I got to admit
it looks like that.

Ben, come here.

I don't know what this is about,

but if it's what I think it is,
you better put a stop to it.

- What do you mean?
- This means trouble.

You know what I mean.

Ed always means trouble.

Ben, I am coroner
of this county.

Martin was killed
in a highway accident.

Maybe, but I'm not sure.

- Ben, I'm sure!
- You're sure?

If I say it's an accident,
then an accident it's gonna be.

Now don't look for trouble, Ben.

It's not just huneker's word.

It's the golden empire's word
against his.

I... I gotta find out
for myself.

You don't have my okay for it.

All right, coroner.

Senor, can they kill
and not pay for it?

No, that's one thing
they can't do,

not while I'm sheriff
of the county.

There's no proof
other than your word.

Now this is important.
You're in danger.

How so, serior?

If there was a murder,
you're the witness,

the only witness.

They'll try to find you.

- Sefior, you mean they would...
- They got nothing to lose.

Edna? This is Jake kelley.

Get me the golden empire.

Miss renchler.

I didn't expect
to find you here.

I must talk to you.

Come inside.

Why were you
out at the ranch this morning?

- It's... it's just business.
- I must know.

- I'm not so sure that you...
- It's something that happened

last night, isn't it?

What do you know
about last night?

- Well, nothing really.
- It's just that,

well, something's wrong
at the ranch, isn't there?

- Yeah.
- Yeah, it looks like it.

I'm afraid somebody was killed
out there last night.

- Who? - One of your field workers.
- A kid named Juan Martin.

Oh, no! Not Juan!

- Miss renchler...
- It was just yesterday...

How did it happen?

That's what
I'm trying to find out.

- Are you sure...
- Are you sure he's dead?

I'm sorry.

Skippy, you... you want to
tell me about it?

Well, you didn't know
how it is...

To be the daughter
of a man like dad.

Nobody is good enough for you.
None of the boys in town.

There wasn't anybody else.
Except there was Juan.

- Well, were you and he...
- I mean...

It wasn't anything important.

It's lonely out there.
Juan was my age.

But dad didn't want me to have
anything to do with anybody

at the ranch either except...

Oh, except to take
that yates along

when I went riding.

Juan was fun.
We didn't do anything.

We just had fun together.

Did your father know
about you and Juan?

Yates must have.

Sheriff, if anything happened,
something terrible,

it wasn't dad. It was yates.

He's a horrible man.

The way he looks at me...

The things he thinks about me,
I can tell.

Well, do you think maybe

he knew about Juan
and was jealous?

He's so close to dad.

Too close for dad to see.

Last night I was in bed.

First, I thought I was dreaming,
but I don't think so now.

I heard a man screaming.

Sorry, Ben,
didn't know you were busy.

'Afternoon, miss renchler.

I'll be with you in a moment.

I better be going.

- Hold it, Ben.
- We want to talk to you.

It's important.

- Yeah, sure. Come on in.
- Pull up some chairs.

I didn't expect to see her here.

Well, neither did I.

Well, who's running the county
with you boys gone?

Must be better than 100.

Yeah. It's at least 100, Harry.

Phew!

All right,
what can I do for you?

- Go ahead, herb.
- Let's get on with it.

Well, frankly, Ben,
it's about this Martin thing.

This bracero Chet huneker
hit this morning.

Jake kelley
told us about it, Ben.

L... uh, we can't
quite understand it.

Why are you making such a big
fuss about it, that is?

After all, these things happen.

People are always
getting hit by cars.

Chet admitted
he ran over the boy.

I'm afraid it's not going to be
quite as simple as all that.

Ben, you know we wouldn't be
buttin' into this thing

for nothing.

Why are you here then?

Frankly, I got a phone call.

Oh. Well, let me guess.

Renchler.

Nothing wrong in that.

No, I guess not.

He said you went out
to the golden empire

and practically accused some of
his people of killing Martin.

I went out to see him.

But Ben, you can't go
out to the empire

and say things like that to him.

You know how virg feels about
people nosing around the ranch.

Anyhow, Ben, most of us,
the association and everybody,

we feel that what happens
among the drifters

out at the empire
isn't any of our business.

You're not responsible
for keeping the law

- in bingham county.
- We're paying your salary.

I went out to investigate
a reported murder.

- And who reported it?
- Another drifter.

What difference does that make?

Ben, for heaven's sakes,
be reasonable.

This is virg renchler
we're talking about,

not just an ordinary person.

We've got to keep
our perspective!

Now look, I got a witness
who says he saw

ed yates and Chet huneker
beat this kid Juan Martin

to death last night
with a pick handle.

He swears it, and I don't see
any purpose in him lying.

Do I have to tell you what
renchler means to this town?

Do you know what would happen if
the empire bought its supplies

in sonora or cherokee?

What would happen
if he suddenly decided

to run his stock
to the spur in sonora?

If he told his hands
not to shop here anymore?

Do I have to draw you a picture?

- You know. We all do!
- The town would be finished.

He didn't say he'd do it
in so many words,

- but he meant it.
- Ben, you've got to stop!

If renchler's
got nothing to hide,

then he's got nothing
to worry about.

What's he so afraid of?

We'll have
a little investigation.

If my witness is lying,
then renchler's in the clear.

The truth never hurt
an innocent man.

That won't do, Ben.

Renchler said stop it,
and that's what we've got to do!

- There's your jail.
- Here's the criminal code.

The voters of this county
elected me sheriff

because I told them
I'd go by this book.

That's exactly
what I intend to do,

especially when I got
a murder on my hands.

You haven't got a murder
on your hands!

I think maybe I have!

If you go ahead with this, you'll be taking
the bread out of every mouth in town.

You'll padlock
every store in spurline.

Ever occur to you maybe
I'm not the one who's doing it?

Ben, this country is crawling
with drifters like Martin.

Nobody knows how many of them
are here and nobody cares.

Why, a lot of them
are in this country illegally.

The decent people have enough to
do to take care of themselves.

Except all of a sudden, you,
you have to take out

after the biggest man
in the county.

Maybe the biggest man
in the state,

and all because some drunken
bracero gets himself killed.

Now we're not gonna stand by
and let you ruin our town!

- I'm gonna do my job!
- Now you look here...

- Calm down, herb.
- Gettin' mad isn't gonna help.

It's all over town already.

You go ahead with this,
and you'll have everybody

hating your guts.

Let's get out of here!

- It's Ben, Sally.
- Get me judge McCullough.

Jack? Ben.

How soon can you get me
a search warrant?

Half hour. Fine.
I'll be by to pick it up.

The golden empire.
No, I'm not kidding.

I know what I'm doing.

All right. Thanks.

- Hiya, Ben.
- Afternoon, Tony.

- Can you take me soon?
- In a minute.

Next you'll be invitin'
wetbacks in here.

Might just do that, Mr. Jenkins.

Oh!

That will be 50 cents,
Mr. Jenkins!

Lose more customers that way.

Ah, it's nothing funny, Tony.

I don't care much.

No place else in town
he can get his hair cut.

You're not even smart
talking to me today.

- Well, climb in.
- You gonna talk all day?

I mean it.

News gets around fast
in this town.

A lot of people
gonna be sore at you.

Well, I tell you,
my old man died last year,

almost 93 years old.

He was in this country
better than 30 years,

but he still couldn't
speak english.

So maybe I feel different
about people like Juan Martin.

Anyway, I don't know where
renchler get his hair cut,

but it's not here.

They got a good point though.

All renchler has to do is move
his loading point to sonora,

and we haven't even got
a railroad.

I tell you, Ben, I figure
I can cut hair almost anywhere.

Come right down to it,

this isn't
much of a town anyway.

Gets too hot.

Tell you something else, Ben...

I still got folks
over in Italy...

And back in the '20s,
they had a lot of trouble

with a guy
who operated like renchler.

And you know what happened then.

I don't want that
to happen here.

He says, "well,
that's what the chinamen do!"

- Yeah?
- Sheriff just left the courthouse.

I think he's headed out
towards the ranch.

Hey, ed, come on, sit down.

Oh, you get on to the ranch.

I'll have this information
in just a minute.

- All right.
- He won't get past the gate.

Have a drink, ed.

Hey!

- You sure make a lot of noise.
- Open up!

- I can't do that.
- Ain't nobody home.

Anyways, I got
special orders about you.

I don't care if
there's anybody home or not.

Open the gate.

My orders are to keep you out.

- I got a search warrant.
- So, open up.

Mr. renchler ain't
gonna like this none.

I ain't doin' it
for his approval.

- Down, Rocco, down, down!
- Down, Rocco.

Looks like the dog
follows orders

better than edmunds
down at the gate, sheriff.

Don't want the sheriff
messin' around here anymore,

the boss says.

Looks like
you're not gonna get out.

Looks like you're gonna have
a dead dog on your hands,

don't it?

The boss wouldn't
like that very much.

Anyhow, he's a pretty good mutt

once you get acquainted
with him.

You better hold him tight.
I'll kill him sure if you let him at me.

I'm not gonna let him loose,
sheriff.

I'm not mad at anybody.
Just doin' what the boss says.

Come on, Rocco. Come on.

Sheriff...

You won't find anything.

What do you mean?

You came to look
in the tool room, didn't you?

Yeah, I thought
I'd have a look at it.

Yates had it cleaned out
this morning.

Where's your father?

Gone. In town, I guess.

- Yates?
- With him.

You better get back inside.

- Is he in there?
- Yeah.

The boss's kid came out
and talked to him.

Watch out for the sheriff.

Here he comes.

For a smart man, you sure
got a hard head, sheriff.

Mr. renchler said he didn't
want you messin' around here.

So I understand.

If I was you,
I'd take his word for it.

He don't like people
goin' against him.

But you ain't me, ed.

- That's right.
- Sure happy I ain't...

'Cause I wouldn't wanna be
standin' where you are.

- Hey, Rocco.
- You hot, boy?

You hot, boy? Hmmm?

Skippy, you went into town

after I told you
to stay in the house!

- He's dead!
- Who? Who's dead?

- Who you talking about?
- Juan, Juan Martin!

Somebody here on the ranch
killed him.

Why did you do it?
He wasn't hurting anyone!

Oh, now honey,
you don't actually imagine

that I'd kill somebody?

- It's your ranch.
- Skippy, believe me...

You always talk
about running things.

Maybe you had him killed
because he was my friend.

Skippy, don't do this to me. I can whip
the whole county if I have to, but I...

- That's right.
- But I can't fight you.

You can whip the county,

you're a poor kid
who never had a chance.

The way you did my mother

when she didn't like the way
you ran things.

Like you were god!

- You don't...
- You don't understand, honey.

You don't know what's happened.

- Juan is dead.
- I know that,

and you're to blame for it.

I hate youl!
I hope they catch up to you,

and if I can help them
punish you, I'm going to do it!

- How'd it go?
- Oh, cisneros is staying

with that cropper Clay.

- Oh, that figures.
- Yeah.

Don't worry
about the sheriff anymore.

I fixed it so he'd lose a wheel
on the way into town.

What?

I loosened some lugs
on his wheel

while he was snoopin' around
in the barn.

- You idiots!
- You infernal idiots!

- What's the matter with you?
- You trying to kill the sheriff?

You want to get the state
down on us?

Well, you want him stopped,
don't you?

- You're going too far.
- I'm not getting any deeper.

You dug this hole.

As far as I'm concerned,

you can crawl out of it
yourself.

Now wait a minute, Mr. renchler.

You can't get out of it
like that.

It wasn't my idea
to work the kid over.

You gave the order after you
found out he came inside the fence

and was makin' passes
at your daughter.

I didn't ask you to kill him.

You think
anybody'll believe that?

- It's the truth.
- Prove it.

Why don't you just
try and prove it.

Oh no, Mr. renchler,
it isn't as simple as that.

Mud don't care
who it splashes on.

You may not like it,
but you're in this thing

just as deep as I am.

Quite a nasty cut.

Yeah.

But you were lucky.

It sure could have been worse.

You better get home
and get to bed.

- I can't, doc.
- Too much to do.

- Maybe tomorrow.
- It's against my advice,

but take two of these pills
if the pain becomes severe.

Okay, doc. Thanks.

Ab!

- Howdy, sheriff.
- Hey, what happened to you?

You know my orders
about drinking on duty.

Let me tell you somethin'...

I figure your orders
aren't gonna mean anything

- very much longer.
- I've had just about enough!

Now wait a minute, big shot.

I've a lot bigger man than you
tell me to drink,

so I drink.

What do you care, sheriff?

- What are you talking about?
- Who told you to drink?

A friend of mine, that's who.

Good ol' virg renchler.

- What did he want?
- What did you tell him?

Stop shakin' me!

What did you tell him?

He said he owed him
some back wages.

He wanted to pay him off.

- Cisneros?
- Yeah.

- Give me your keys.
- Huh?

Your car keys!

We was out in the fields
when we heard 'em.

They was shootin'.

I seed them
when they runned away.

It was two of 'em. Had masks on.

I seed 'em. They didn't see me.

Come out here with guns
and they...

Just shot him.

- Hello.
- Listen, blondie,

tell that husband of yours
to lay off.

- Who is this?
- What do you want?

He lays off,
or you'll be a young widow.

Who is...?

Hello?

Oh!

- Helen?
- In here.

Ben!

You didn't tell me
it was that bad.

- Let me see.
- It... it's all right.

Look, I... I want you to stay
at your sister's tonight.

What for?

- I... I just want you to.
- That's all.

I may have to work all night,
and...

I don't want you here alone.

I'll get it.

- Hello.
- Listen to me, hero.

Get out of town while
you're still in one piece.

- Who are you?
- Who is this?

If you don't lay off,
you'll find out.

Now listen here, I...

Edna? Edna, this is Ben sadler.

Can you tell me who just
put a call through to my home?

Pay booth, huh?

All right. Thanks.

Has this happened before?

- Ever since early afternoon.
- Every half hour or so.

Same person?

Different people.

They take it out on you, too.

Ben...

Be sure you're right
before you go any further.

We've lived here a long time.
These people are our friends.

- Be sure I'm right?
- Two men have been killed!

I know I'm going against
the whole town, but I...

Darling, they're afraid.

Afraid they'll lose their homes
and everything they own.

It starts out with a kid
nobody ever heard of.

He gets killed out at the ranch.

At least they beat him up
until they kill him.

Maybe it looks like
a truck hit him,

but I know better now.

This wasn't an accident.
It was murder.

You'll kill our town
if you go ahead.

This Martin,
he didn't even live here.

Cisneros
didn't live here either,

but he died here.

All I'm saying is
what's everybody's saying.

What will happen to spurline
and all of us

without the business
from the ranch?

Well, what'll happen to it
with... without the law?

Unless we go back
to being beasts,

there's got to be law
for everybody.

For a wetback like Martin
or a drifter like cisneros

or a cropper like Clay, even a big man
like renchler and his punk foremen.

You stay here.

I can talk to judge McCullough
and start proceedings,

but it'll take time
to get him out of office.

And what will we use
for a charge?

Oh, you guys can talk like that.

It's easy, but I told renchler.

I called him up and told him
in so many words.

This man cisneros was a witness.
Now he's dead.

You just... you just don't
forget a thing like that.

Jake, you can't blame yourself
for cisneros' death.

I killed that old man just as sure as
if I'd have pulled the trigger myself.

No matter who's responsible,

it just about
takes away all doubt

as far as I'm concerned.

Herb, do you still
honestly believe

that this was an accident?
This Martin boy's death?

- Jim, wake up, will you?
- That's not the point!

Forget about whether or not
it was an accident.

All that counts now is survival!

You're not doing yourself
any good

by staying here tonight.

There is nothing else
you can do.

I'm waiting to hear from
the state crime lab.

Tonight?

Look, Ben, I'm your friend.

Get home and get some sleep.

- Sadler.
- Sheriff?

You want the truth
about the cisneros killing?

- Who is this?
- Never mind.

You want the information?

Certainly, I want it.

You know, the old blakesly
place outside of town?

Yeah, I know it.

- Be there in 15 minutes.
- Alone.

All right. I'll be there,
but who is this?

Hello? Hello!

Ben. Who was it?

- I don't know.
- Somebody who said

he could give me
some information about cisneros.

You said you'd meet him
somewhere...

But you're not going, of course.

- Yeah, I'm going.
- But you can't!

It's a trap. You can see that.

Oh, I figure maybe it is.

Then why are you going?

Well, just look at this stuff
on the desk.

I haven't got enough facts here
to arrest anybody.

Sure, it's a trap, but maybe,
just maybe it isn't.

Maybe there's one chance
in a thousand it's not a trap.

I gotta take that chance.

Then I'm going with you.

- No. No, this is my doing.
- I got to work it out myself.

Besides, the man said
I had to come alone.

Where, then?

The old blakesly place.

I'll give you an hour.

If you're not back,
I'm calling the state police.

Okay.

Hold it!

Turn around
and get your hands up.

Huneker! So you're the pitcher.

All right. Start talking.

You got something to say,
say it.

Sheriff, um, this way
about that cisneros thing,

I wanted to talk to you about.

I'll kill him.

Give me that!

Hold it, Chet.

Boss didn't say kill him.

He just said work him over good.

Ain't enough.

No man does that to me
and gets away with it!

I got an idea. Give me a hand.

I'll get to Ben tomorrow.

I don't like it.

None of us like it,
but we're stuck with it.

Take off!

Take off.

Hey, stop it!

Take off!

How is he?

You about finished?

Yeah, just about.

There.

You take it easy, Ben.

I'll drive you home.

Better stop by the office and I'll
give you some medicine to take along.

All right, doctor.

- Now look, Ben...
- We're gonna take you home.

Now this time
you've got to stay in bed!

Ben, I just want you to know
that I didn't...

Why don't you just shut up!

What are you trying to do?

You're not going anywhere.
You can't!

Don't try to stop me, doc.

If you disregard
what I've told you,

I'm not going to be responsible!

- Now wait a minute!
- Ben, you can't do anything now.

You've got to listen to the doc.

Ben, it was the most
shocking thing I've ever seen.

- Shocking?
- You were shocked?

All you decent people
were shocked.

For god's sake, why?

'Cause my name's Ben sadler
instead of Juan Martin?

'Cause I'm a taxpayer
instead of a drifter?

- Ben!
- You finally got shocked.

What in god's green earth
does it take

to shock you people?

Murder doesn't do it.

Were you finally shocked
because they started

shooting up the town
and breaking expensive windows?

I've had just about enough!

I lived here all my life,
but it took today to teach me

that there isn't a yard of guts
in this whole town.

This isn't a town.
It's a trained dog act.

I'm through being pushed around.

One way or another,
I'm going to get myself

a couple of murderers tonight,

and if any of you decent people
want to try to stop me,

there's room for you
in Jake kelley's back room, too.

- Get out of my way!
- Ben, you can't do it this way.

You're the sheriff.

Now I can do it my way!

Sheriff...

Sheriff...

- What do you want?
- I'm goin" with you.

- Ain't none of your business.
- I ain't gonna argue with you,

but cisneros was my friend,
so I'm goin'.

Besides, you ain't got no car.

It's over here, sheriff.

So we
dragged him around the square.

Cut him loose and dumped him

right in front of
his own office.

He won't give us
any more trouble.

He won't be able.

Renchler here. Some of these small-town
John laws got hard heads.

- His head ain't hard no more.
- Hey, something went wrong.

There's a car
broke through the gate.

I thought I told you
to take care of everything.

- Listen...
- From now on,

I'll handle this myself.
Now get on out there.

Be ready if I need you.

Keep out of sight.

You stay in here.

Renchler! Come out here.

Renchler!

- Down, boy.
- What are you doing?

- Down.
- You're coming in with me.

Now don't you think
this has gone far enough?

Let's you and me talk this over.

It's too late for talking.

Now, Ben, there's no reason
why two rational grown men...

Don't give me anymore of that.

You want to get to town alive,
get moving.

You want to get there dead,
just keep talking.

Now sheriff, there's ways.

- Shut up and come on with Mel!
- Now!

Get him!

Idiots! That's enough.
Get that dog in the house.

Now what?

Get him in that car of his.

Drive it off the bridge
into the gulch.

Make it look like an accident.

You take care of Clay.

What are you doing here?

You got no business here!

Now go on. Get back into town
where you belong.

Parker?

Who do you think you are?
You know better than this.

I'll have you
out of office so fast,

you won't know what hit you.

Youngquist, you won't sell
another pound of feed

in this county.

Cheney?

Blakely? You'll pay for this!

Santoro, you crummy
little barber!

I'll send you back
where you belong.

Now I'm warning you...

Who do you think
keeps this town of yours alive?

Now get on back to town!

What's the matter with you?

I'm telling you,
I'll break every one of you.

Now, for the last time...

Get off my ranch!

- I give up. Don't shoot!
- Don't shoot!

- All right.
- Get him in the car.

Give me a hand, will you?

Here, you do it.

Thanks, Ben.

You'll be needin' this.