_ Hey, Bud, ain't you going to eat? _ No!
How can I when I think of the things that skunk said about us?
And him, the big gun everybody's always bragging about,
he slunk lower than anyone in the place.
_ Shut up. _ I won't!
Why didn't you let me do something about it?
He'd have chewed you up and spit you out.
Your hand wouldn't have got halfway to that gun.
Katie's going to have something to show for her life.
_ You're going back to school. _ No, I ain't!
Oh, yes, you are, if I have to carry you there.
_ I won't learn anything! _ I can't make you do that.
You don't want to tag along with me after I've muddied the Elders' name.
No, and that's for sure!
This was Ma's, now it's mine. I'm going to get that guy. Who's coming?
_ You're not going any place. _ You going to stop me?
You bet I am!
And that's for sure!
_ What the hell did you hit me for? _ You stood there and let him hit me.
I got him, I got him.
I got him!
_ You got him? _ Yeah!
Stay out of here.
_ Howdy. _ Howdy.
I'm right sorry I missed the start of that.
_ Doing your spring house-cleaning? _ We're just getting acquainted.
We haven't seen each other for some years.
I'm looking for a Mrs Kate Elder.
This is where she lived. We're her sons.
_ She died a few days ago. _ I am sorry.
_ I extend my sympathy to y'all. _ Thank you.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs Elder, but I got a letter from her.
Since I had business in Clearwater, I decided to pay her a visit.
I'm sorry I got here so late. This is some letter!
Care to read it?
"Mr Charlie Bob Striker, Pecos, Texas."
_ That's you? _ It is.
This is Matt and Bud and Tom. And I'm John Elder.
Howdy.
"Dear Mr Striker, it has been told to me that you have a lot too many horses."
"If this is true, you have my sympathy,"
"as I have been horse poor myself in the past."
"If you are still in this predicament in June,"
"I may be able to help you out and take a hundred head off your hands,"
"provided you are prepared to deal on credit"
"until I can resell them."
"I am interested in good sound stock, but nothing fancy."
"And I would like to hear your rock_bottom price."
"Yours truly, Kate Elder."
Horse poor?
Sounds like she had more brass than the Kansas City fire engine.
It struck me funny, and the more I read it, the funnier it got.
Finally I said to myself, "Striker, you've done a lot of fool things."
"You haven't done any lately, and you're overdue." I'm sorry I got here too late.
_ You two would've made a lively team. _ Well, thanks!
_ Why don't you come on in? _ Thank you.
But it'll be a favour to my bad knee to stay here.
_ It's been nice meeting you. _ I've got a proposition for you.
I wouldn't blame you if you turned me down.
_ It wouldn't hurt to hear it. _ I'd like to take those horses.
I'd run them to Colorado, sell them to the miners.
But I've got the same trouble Mom had. No cash.
_ I'll give you half the profits. _ What about the rest of you?
_ You in this, too? _ We ain't been asked.
_ Are you telling or asking? _ Asking.
It sounds crazy enough to work.
_ Matt? _ I want to know one thing.
_ Will the money keep him at school? _ Seems to be the idea.
In that case, I'll chip in a couple of weeks.
_ Well? _ You know you almost broke my jaw.
I was trying awful hard to. That's what it seems to take with some people.
_ Well, I guess you made up my mind. _ How about it?
If I was going to do a fool thing for your mother, I might as well do it for you.
Come to my ranch, and you can have the horses.
_ When do you want to start? _ A couple of hours.
Good, I'll be waiting.
Well, come on!
It's your move, Billy.
Harry, one of these days I'm going to beat you.
I wish you would.
After losing eight games in a row, I can hardly consider you a challenge.
_ Where have you been all day? _ The US Marshal's office.
Take a look at this.
Maybe that'll prove I wasn't jumping to conclusions.
Tom Elder's wanted for murder!
_ What gave you the idea? _ I did.
He knew enough about Tom Elder to send me looking.
I figured Tom for a lot of things, but never murder.
Why not? He's an Elder.
It takes more than a man's name to make him guilty.
_ There's your proof. _ That doesn't prove he's guilty.
You're working out of hate. That's why they took your gun the first time.
It seems like I can't do anything right for you, Billy.
Ben, the trouble with you is you're like an owl.
The more light you shine on him, the less he sees.
_ Where are you going? _ To get Tom Elder.
Not armed like that, you're not.
And go reluctant, not like you enjoy the idea of using that.
_ I'll go myself. _ They're four of them!
I can count, too, Ben.
Ben's right, Billy. You'll need help.
You figuring on coming with me?
Or are you suggesting I take along that new man you hired?
He's a good hand.
What are you trying to keep the Elders from finding out, Mr Hastings?
I'm just trying to help.
Sure, just trying to put us on the map, make us all rich.
A man can grow with a town, Billy.
Or die, like Bass Elder.
Ben, you'd better come here.
_ What's the matter? _ Billy's horse just came in, without him.
Let's get a posse together, Harry.
Here.
He's still breathing.
You and Roy take him to Doc lsdell. Meet us at the river.
Go get 'em!
You were pretty good today, kid, pretty handy.
_ Where did you learn that stuff? _ Not in college.
We're just trying to make you rich and respectable. You fight us every step.
I don't want to be rich and respectable. I want to be like the rest of you.
_ ls he sassing you again? _ I don't know what to do with him.
_ Ain't you no respect for your Elders? _ That ain't funny. I heard it before.
Katie would have bloodied our backsides with a birch for talking back.
Which one of you is man enough to fill in for Ma?
Oh, no. Oh, no, you wouldn't! No, hey, no!
Come on!
Fellows! I thought I taught you better than to take a bath with your clothes on.
There's a posse up there. What do you suppose they're after?
It can't be us. Unless they think we stole these horses.
_ It's Ben Latta. They must be after us. _ What are we going to do?
We've done nothing wrong. We won't act like it.
We'll just pick up these horses and start out like we were just passing through.
There's four of them. It's the Elders all right.
I told you not to fire! I want 'em alive.
_ Bud? _ I'm all right.
What's this for?
_ Stealing horses is against the law. _ So is shooting 'em.
We got these legal, and we can prove it.
I don't expect you all to believe us, but Billy will.
_ Then why did you shoot him? _ Billy's shot?
Shot but not dead.
He'll tell us who did it...
...when he tried to bring Tom in.
This doesn't make sense.
If we were running away and had shot Billy, why pick up a herd of horses?
_ And bring them through Clearwater? _ Throw your guns on the ground.
Do as he says.
More killings won't prove anything.
A couple of you tie them up.
_ We've got all them horses. _ Their owner will find them.
I've got a letter from the owner.
_ That don't do much for Billy. _ We didn't do it.
Billy was at the Lupin place when he was shot.
_ The Lupin place? _ Yeah. If they try anything, shoot 'em.
I'm making you a present. You can have all the good deeds.
What good deeds?
A good deed for Ma. Ain't that why we're here?
We're here because you got yourself on a wanted poster.
You make it personal for a man that's been in a few scrapes himself.
Tell us what happened.
Some bartender got sore because I was raffling off my eye.
Started banging away at me with a .45.
_ I did the only thing I could do. _ It was self_defence.
Why didn't you stand trial and clear yourself?
Because it was his town and I was an outsider.
Look.
_ How's Billy? _ I don't know.
_ You think we did it, too. _ I don't know what to think.
If only you'd gone away after the funeral.
Whiskey. Hate.
Seems like everybody in this town's made up their mind.
Go on home, Mary. Stay home. I don't want you around here.
Billy's dead.
Go on.
Did he say who shot him?
He never opened his mouth to say you didn't.
_ Get a rope! _ Let's hang them!
I told you to go home.
_ What about that mob? _ They had a feeling for Billy.
_ Tell them Billy wouldn't lynch a man. _ Four men.
Three men and a boy. How can you be so sure they're guilty, Ben?
They're convinced. The same that would make up a jury.
You arrest them. You don't judge them. Get the marshal to come here.
Quit telling me how to do my job.
Did you see the way them people are looking at us?
Yeah, I saw.
And we're getting out of here.
You figure on doing it different?
They come to feed us in the morning, we'll get the key.
_ How's it look? _ Not good, Judge.
_ Better set their trial for in the morning. _ Pick a jury out of that mob?
It wouldn't be justice. It'd be murder.
We got enough of those, Charlie?
No, we ain't. Them guns ain't going to stop no mob, and you know it.
_ Do you want to let them in? _ Don't you talk to me like that!
Me and Billy Wilson never lost a prisoner, mobs or no mobs.
He broke 'em up, and without no guns, neither. I seen him do it.
But then you ain't no Billy Wilson!
_ He didn't mean anything. _ Why don't he use his head?
If he was a patch on Billy's shirt,
he'd get those boys out of town before it's too late.
Look out there. Them's friends of yours until now.
But pretty soon you'll be shooting bullets at 'em. You will.
We'll move 'em.
We'll move them to Laredo early in the morning.
Tom, somebody's coming!
I guess they changed their mind.
Yell out to one of them deputies. Tell them you're sick.
Are you out of your mind? You want to get your neck stretched?
_ We're facing it. _ Not a lynch mob.
We're here because you ran in New Orleans. We're not running again.
_ Katie's not losing this one. _ We're the ones who're in trouble!
_ I suppose she wasn't. _ She's the same as other mothers.
Her kids didn't turn out the right way. So what of it?
Nobody's making any decisions for me. I'll make my own.
You can buy her an angel or a lamb, pay her off with a slab of marble.
You can make that decision. But I'll decide this one.
If we all get killed out of this, nobody's going to run. Katie wins this one.
You're going to Laredo.
Make one wrong move, you'll get the same thing you gave Billy.
Come on!
_ Got the shackles ready? _ All ready.
_ All right, you two over here. _ I don't want to be shackled to him!
Kind of late to be choosy about your friends.
Get a leg up.
Make sure they're tight.
Raise your right hands.
Do you swear to act as deputy sheriffs and uphold the laws of Texas?
_ Say, "I do." _ I do.
Get in that wagon.
Once on the bridge, they're all yours.
_ I don't trust them guards. _ The drivers are on our side.
They've got their stories straight. "We were ambushed by the Elder gang."
Whoa!
_ What are you stopping here for? _ To rest the horses.
_ Ned, what's the matter? _ Resting the horses.
_ All right... _ Jump!
Put your hands up, Ben.
_ You're wearing a badge. _ So was Billy. Drop that rifle.
_ One gun won't hold them off very long. _ Ben's got some guns in that rig.
_ Think you can cover us? _ Three shots worth.
_ Can you keep underwater with me? _ lf I can't, you just hold me under.
Let's go. Come on.
I knew you were going to mob those boys.
Sure you did, Ben. But they had it coming.
Hold it.
Tom! Tom! Use the horses to get back.
All right. Keep in step or we'll get tangled and go down.
All right, Curley, this is what you were hired for.
I don't want one of them Elders to get out of here alive. Move!
All set?
They've got a hold of Ben's guns. We'll never get them out of there.
_ I'd like to blast them out of there. _ There's dynamite in the gun box.
I don't like it.
Too quiet.
Let's get back.
Cover me.
Go!
Look out!
Matt!
_ John. _ Let me help you.
No, please, l...
John... I wish...
Maybe Bud...
I... I wish...
Here they come!
I'm hit!
I'm hit. John!
John Elder, throw me a gun. I'll help you.
_ Ben's going to help them. _ Stupid fool!
No, Dad. That's Ben!
Come on.
_ Hastings is leaving. Let's go. _ What'll we tell them in town?
What Hastings said. We were ambushed by the Elder gang. Let's go!
Let's get out of here before they come back.
_ We're going back to town. _ They'll kill us the minute we get there!
_ We ain't going to run. _ I am!
How? There's one wagon, and Bud needs a doctor. I'm taking him back.
I'll get the buckboard.
Get Bud in the barn.
Hold it, Burr.
Go on home. Get out of here.
Wait a minute, kid. We're going to need a doctor. Go get Doc lsdell.
Go on, Jeb.
Be quick about it.
_ Take off these leg irons. Theirs first. _ Yes, sir.
_ Where are you going? _ Doc lsdell's. One of them's hurt.
_ What's your hurry? _ Pa's in there.
Let him go.
That's it, Harry. That's far enough.
What do you want?
I want you to surrender. Then I'll let the doctor through.
Get the doctor, or you'll be short of a blacksmith.
_ Do what he says, Harry! _ Not till we see you out here.
_ Harry! _ We can't trust him, Will.
We can trust your deputies to shoot us up.
Your gang killed a lot of good men doing their job.
My gang? Then who killed Matt, shot Bud and blew up the bridge?
What about Billy?
How long does it take a man to ride to Pecos, Harry?
Eight, nine hours.
_ When did you last see Billy? _ We were playing chess at nine.
We can prove we were in Pecos at nine o'clock.
Send for the marshal, Harry.
We'll give ourselves up. But not to you, or anyone in this town.
You get that US Marshal from Laredo and we'll come out.
_ How will I get a US Marshal here? _ I don't know.
Telegraph him, or go get him yourself. But get him.
Go on in, Doc.
Over here.
Out.
One of them's wounded.
I want you men to go home.
Those men are my prisoners the same as if they were in that jail.
The US Marshal will be here. Any man who starts trouble will answer to him.
Now, break it up and go home!
Go on!
I've done about all I can for him now.
You'd best get him over to the boarding house as soon as you can.
_ John. _ Yeah?
Don't worry about him. He'll pull through.
We'll see he gets raised right, you and me.
What if the marshal gets here first?
It's their word against ours. Who'll take the word of a gunfighter against mine?
What if one of those guards breaks, Pa?
Only a weakling breaks. They won't talk.
Not in here, you idiot. Do you want to blow us all up?
Curley smoked in here.
You ain't Curley!
John.
Dave. He never did answer any questions for us.
_ We've got all the answers we'll get. _ It's worth a try.
You're not going! You step one foot outside that door and you're dead.
You're not going.
Did Doc lsdell say anything about changing the...?
You make one move and you're dead! Do as I say.
Back.
Move! Move!
Right! There's one left for you. Now, move!
Here's a present for you. Now, get your answers.
I'm going to give you some real good advice, mister.
This is no time for lying.
_ Who ambushed us? _ I don't know.
_ Answer me. Who killed my brother? _ I don't know!
Talk! You were there when Ben got it.
_ Who ambushed us? _ I don't know. I didn't do anything.
When I let you breathe again, you'd better come up with the right answers!
Pa! I didn't tell them.
I wasn't going to talk. I wasn't going to talk.
Drop that gun, Hastings.
They shot at me. They got my son Dave in there. Get him out!
_ I didn't tell them! _ Didn't tell them what, Dave?
My father, he killed Ben. He killed him.
And my dad?
Your father found out he was being cheated.
And Billy kept getting closer to the truth.
Billy, too?
John...
...give me that gun.
I represent the law around here now. We'll take care of Hastings.
I don't want any trouble with you, Harry.
I wouldn't argue with him.
John.
This is something I have to do myself, Harry.
Get Doc lsdell for Tom.
John.
Bud's in here.
_ ls he all right? _ Doc says he'll need lots of care.
_ He'll get it. And Tom? _ Doc's with him now.
Tom said it'd take more than one bullet to kill him.
He's in here.