Original subtitles

[ glass breaking ]

JUDGE: I wouldn't do that if I were you.

What's going on here?

He started a ruckus.

Ruckus?

Arney Jackson poisoned my water hole.

Five of my beef are stone dead.

Who wouldn't make a ruckus?Let him go.

Now, Keleher,

that's a pretty serious charge you're making.

You have any proof?

My cattle are dead, what more do I need?

That it was Jackson's doing.

I know it was Jackson.

If I get my hands on him, I'll--

I'd suggest that you don't get hold of him.

If you're so sure that Jackson caused your troubles,

sign a complaint.

I'll have the sheriff investigate

and you can bring him into court.

Thanks, Judge, but I think I'll handle this myself.

All right, but see that you don't do anything

that you'll be sorry for.

You've been in trouble before.

This is a law-abiding town now

and I intend to keep it that way.

All right, Judge,

thanks for the warning.

I'll remember it.

See that you do.

And thanks again for dinner.

Oh, it was a pleasure to have you.

Goodnight.

[ gunshot ]

[ gasps ]

Don't move, mister.

I got a gun on you.

Now let's see those hands.

Slow, put 'em up.

All right, on your feet.

Now turn around so I can see

who Arney Jackson's got running his dirty errands for him.

What?

I said turn around.

You're making a mistake, mister.

Uh-uh.

You are, working for the likes of Jackson.

I've never heard of Jackson.

Sure.

You just happen to be within 2 feet of my water hole

to keep it from running dry.

Well, I didn't know it was yours.

But I'm not doing it any harm.

Already done.

Judge says, "Where is proof?"

You're proof and you're gonna talk.

About what?

About Arney Jackson.

Now just walk your horse up that path.

If you'd only listen.

Later.

All right, hold it.

Now on your feet.

Now it's my turn.

I work for Arney Jackson.

You're feuding with him.

And here's where you get a bullet

right through your head.

No, wait.Oh.

Suddenly you're not in such a hurry, huh?

Now if things were the way you say,

you'd be a dead man right now.

Then get it over with.

Now maybe that'll prove I don't work for Jackson.

I don't know him, I've never heard of him before.

Then what are you doing out here?

What does it look like I'm doing?

I had to make camp somewhere, didn't I?

I've been in the saddle for 2 days.

I got a half a day's ride ahead of me.

Just wanted some rest, that's all.

I'm sorry, mister.

I reckon I made a mistake.

I reckon you did.

You make many more like this

and you're liable not to walk away from one of them.

I'm going into town this morning, Father.

Is there anything you want?

Father?

If only I could've got my hands on Jackson.

I'm glad you didn't.

What do you want me to do, Julie?

Just let him walk all over me?

It's not a case of that and you know it.

[ knocking on door ]

Hurry it up, Ev, as soon as you're finished,

I'm taking you in.

Taking me in? What for?

You know.

Not till you tell me, I don't.

What is it, Sheriff? What's wrong?

Your Pa killed Arney Jackson.

Jackson? Dead?

You know he is.

When? How?

Last night a little after 7:00.

Where?

Edna Holtzhoff's.

No use, Sheriff.

I was nowhere near Edna's at 7:00.

Got two witnesses who say you were.

Well, they're lying.

And I can prove they're lying!

There, that's where his fire was.

Where is he?

Said he had a half-day's ride, probably left at sunup.

But he was here and I was with him.

So I couldn't have been at Edna Holtzhoff

when Jackson was shot.

Ev, anybody could've built that fire.

Specially a man who's been behind bars,

looking for an alibi.

But if you'd only find the stranger.

Where?

Within a half-day of here, he said it himself.

Half a day.

Which direction?

I don't know.

What's his name?

I don't know.

Come on, Ev, the Judge is waiting.

Laramie?

Why Laramie?

It has to be.

If the stranger had been going east or west,

he'd have had to come through town.

No one saw him.

Maybe there was no one to see.

Now if he'd been going north or south,

he could've crossed

right where my father saw him outside of town.

Now there's nothing to the north

except mountains.

That leaves the south.

Laramie,

half a day's ride away.

I have to admire your logic.

Still, every criminal has his alibi.

My father is not a criminal.

You're quite right. I beg your pardon.

Ex-convict, I should've said.

That's all over and done with.

He's served his sentence.

True, but the fact is an important one

and has definite bearings on this particular case.

As I'm sure you'll recall,

his prior conviction was assault with intent to kill.

All I'm asking is a delay of a few days.

Would only be a waste of time.

For all your fine reasoning,

we can't be sure that there is a man

such as this stranger.

If there is,

we can't be sure he's in Laramie.

If he is,

we can't be sure he'd testify.

Your father admits it was hardly a friendly meeting.

But even if he did testify on your father's behalf,

we have two other witnesses to refute it.

Now added to all this

is your father's past conviction.

So I'm afraid that doesn't leave me much choice.

Your petition is denied.

Sorry, can't help you, miss.

Any of you seen anybody come to town from the north today?

Sorry, miss.

Now wait a minute.

Slim Sherman delivered some horses

over to Fort Henry last week.

He'd be due back about today.

Did anyone see him?

He could have went straight to his ranch.

How do I get there?

I don't even know it was your father I was with.

But you agreed he fit the description I gave you.

Yeah.

I know you've had a long ride.

Father admits he gave you plenty of reason

not to like him.

Well, there is nothing personal, I...

just get a little edgy when somebody sticks a gun

in my back.

He wouldn't kill anyone,

unless he was pushed to it.

If he were a murderer,

do you honestly think you'd be here now?

And you say they're sure about the time of the killing?

Yes, exactly when you admit he was with you.

And your camp was over 5 miles

from Edna Holtzhoff's house, so he couldn't have done it.

And the trial's tomorrow?

Yes, I tried to get to them to postpone it,

but I couldn't.

I told Father's lawyer to take as much time as possible.

So if we ride fast--

Look, I've been riding fast for nearly a week.

Mike, will you get out a couple of blankets

for the spare room?

You might as well stay here tonight.

Slim, why don't you get along to bed?

In the morning, you'll be wanting to start at sunup.

Oh, I will?

Of course.

I'll get you something to eat.

Then you can have a good night's sleep.

Thank you.

I'd like to help.

Ooh, come along.

It'll be a treat to have someone in the kitchen

that doesn't try everything I cook by sticking a finger in it.

[ laughs ]

And what are you looking at?

I don't know how you do it, part.

Every time I let you out of my sight,

you get tangled up with a pretty girl.

And he grabbed me and he shook me.

He was hollering and yelling

that he was going to get my uncle, Arney Jackson.

One look at him and I knew there'd be trouble

if I fought back.

You can ask anyone, they all saw it.

We'll get around to that.

Right now we want your testimony.

Ask me anything you want

and I'll answer it just as directly as I know.

And then there was a shot...

and he fell to the ground

and lay there like he was dead.

And he was dead.

All right, Edna.

Regis, do you wish to question this witness?

I most certainly do.

Now, Mrs. Holtzhoff,

you testify that Arney Jackson

had dinner with you just before he was killed.

That is right.

Now tell me, do you make a habit

of entertaining gentlemen in your home?

I would not entertain anybody who was not a gentleman.

Well, what I mean is,

isn't it true that Arney Jackson

was a regular and the only male visitor to your home?

What's the purpose of this line of questioning?

I am trying to bring out

that Arney Jackson was courting this witness

and she responded.

That true, Edna?

Of course, I liked him.

He was a gentleman.

All right, it's brought out.

Let's not waste time.

Well, if you liked Arney Jackson,

you must have hated his enemy, Ev Keleher.

Ev Keleher was a mean,

ornery, evil-minded man and he always was.

[ murmuring ]

Order in the court.

[ judge strikes gavel ]

Then you admit bias?

I don't know what you mean by that.

But I admit I never liked Ev Keleher

if that's what you mean.

That is exactly what I mean.

I was right across the road.

Saw the whole thing.

It happened just like she said.

It was Keleher all right.

Sure as shooting.

Were you a friend of Arney Jackson's?

I hardly knew him.

Ever had any trouble with Ev Keleher?

Nope.

Regis?

No questions.

Sure, I hated Arney Jackson.

Always making trouble,

wanted my land so he tried to drive me out,

but I didn't kill him.

Yeah, just like you didn't beat Hank Tomkins

half to death.

[ murmuring ]

Order in this court.

That was years ago.

Got nothing to do with this.

Besides, I paid for it.

Five years in jail, I learned my lesson.

The jury will decide that.

Right now we're more interested

in the testimony we've heard.

That you threatened to get Jackson.

I said I was gonna settle with him.

I wanted him to pay for the cattle he killed,

that's all.

You claim that you were up in the hills

at the time of the shooting.

What were you doing there?

Looking for proof that Arney poisoned my water hole.

And if you'd give me a chance,

I'd prove that I was tending to that,

not killing anybody.

The jury's heard your story

about this stranger up in the hills.

We'll let them make up their minds

where you were.

You may step down.

All right, Regis, you may sum up.

We made good time.

It's only about noon.

Let's get over to the court right away.

Sheriff?

Julie, I'm sorry.

I really am.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

No, no.

[ crying ]

Please try to control yourself, Miss Julie.

Well, what was the great hurry?

Why couldn't you wait? Why?!

I'm sorry for you, Miss Julie,

but justice firm and swift.

Absolute necessity.

Now you claim

that your father didn't get a fair trial.

Let's look into that.

Well, how far do you have to look?

I was the witness for the defense,

you didn't give me a chance to testify.

Do you think it would've made a difference?

We had two witnesses who saw the shooting.

Were they lying?

Or mistaken.

I wasn't mistaken.

Keleher shot down Jackson,

I saw him do it.

Miss Edna Holtzhoff saw it too.

What are we trying to prove, Judge?

It was a fair trial.

Even Keleher's own lawyer agrees to it.

Then he's not much of a lawyer.

Now see here.

I worked very hard in my client's behalf.

I did everything possible.

But the balance of evidence,

well, no one can change that.

Then you're satisfied that your client got a fair trial?

Yes, sir.

And in your opinion,

the testimony of this young man

wouldn't have altered matters?

No, I don't think it would.

Well, how do you know?

If the jury had a chance to hear me--

They'd decide just what we do.

That you're lying your fool head off.

Now why should I be lying?

I don't even know you people.

You know Julie

and she's right pretty.

Simmer down, boys, both of you.

It's no use, Slim, they won't listen.

Their minds are made up,

they were made up before the trial.

But I'm not finished, Judge.

I'm gonna write to the territorial governor.

I don't see what you hope to gain by that.

It's too late to do your father much good now.

But it's not too late to clear his name.

I'm going to expose this...

this hair-trigger justice of yours.

All right,

but as far as your father's name goes,

he had a blot on it long before I ever knew him.

And you couldn't forgive that, could you?

I thought judges were supposed to be unbiased.

I'm willing to stand on my record.

Everybody knows that 2 years ago

this was one of the wildest,

most lawless pestholes in the west.

Why, decent folk were afraid to leave their homes

for fear they'd get robbed, murdered.

Well, we put a stop to that.

We put a stop to that by letting the lawbreakers

see that they'd get caught,

tried, sentenced

without a lot of stalling around.

We have a clean town now,

a law-abiding town.

So write your letter.

We've got nothing to hide.

Nothing to hide?

You're murderers!

Every last one of you,

but I'm not gonna let you get away with it.

I'll show you.

Easy now, Miss Julie.

You,

you swore to a lie

and you know it, Sam Norris!

You murdered my father

and I'm going to get even with you

if it's the last thing I do!

I'm going to get even with the whole lot of you!

Are you trying to tell me those witnesses were honest?

Maybe.

A shadowy figure in the dark.

People only saw what they expected to see.

Why did they have to be in such a hurry?

I'm still going to write the governor.

You do that.

If he investigates and you want me to testify,

you know where to find me.

Yes.

Thank you, Slim.

Thank you for everything.

I'm only sorry it didn't do any good.

Goodbye, Julie.

Goodbye, Slim.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Tell me, what do you think?

Just between the two of us.

Did we make a mistake?

About what?

Keleher.

Well, we moved pretty fast.

He was given a trial,

attorney for his defense,

opportunity to cross-examine.

True, we did move pretty fast,

but what kind of law would we have here

if we went on every wild goose chase

that any suspect sent us on?

No.

No.

The only way to keep the law

is to make it clear that the penalty for breaking it

is sure and swift punishment.

Yeah.

We cleaned up this town, you and I.

We did a good job.

Job to be proud of.

So no apologies.

Besides,

that Sherman was obviously lying.

Probably was.

As Marv Jackson said,

Miss Julie is a mighty pretty girl.

A young man would be more than willing

to do her bidding.

Sure, it wouldn't be the first time

something like that happened.

Well, I've got to be running.

Now don't you worry.

We did our duty, that's all,

our duty.

Take a look at that.

So?

So somebody tried to kill me.

Is that a fact?

Don't you know a bullet hole when you see one?

Hmm, generally.

You sure you didn't do that yourself?

Myself?

Trying to get me to believe you.

Well, you better believe me.

The judge said it was too late to do anything,

but not any more.

By hanging the wrong man, you let the real killer loose.

That's not likely.

What do I have to say to you to make you listen to reason?

There's a murderer in this town.

He killed Jackson, he tried to kill me

and he's liable to try it again.

Now why would he want to kill you?

So I can't testify if this case reopens.

Well, what do you want me to do?

Well, you can question those witnesses again.

You and the judge claim you cleaned this town up.

Well, if you're gonna convince me,

don't let a murderer around loose.

All right.

Now you want to ask questions.

Well, we'll ask questions.

But I'm telling you now,

you're going to end up with the same answers.

Sam Norris been in here?

No, I haven't seen him all day, Sheriff.

Got a room upstairs.

Maybe he's up there.

Sam, open up. It's me Ben.

We're not gonna get any answers from him.

Somebody made sure of that.

Now don't worry, Julie, we'll get you out of here.

They got no proof that you killed Norris.

They say he was blasted with a shotgun.

I own a shotgun.

They found a handkerchief near him

that's supposed to be mine

and I threatened to get even with him, didn't I?

For them, that's plenty of proof.

No, not even for them.

There weren't any witnesses this time.

If they need witnesses, they'll get them.

I don't think so.

I agree with the minister.

This isn't a frame-up,

this is a cover-up.

What's the difference?

Most of the people in this town are honest,

but they just won't face up to the fact

that they hanged the wrong man.

What does that have to do with arresting me?

Don't you see?

The second murder

has got to be tied in with the first.

That means that either you killed Norris

or the man who really killed Jackson did it.

If that back-shooter is still on the loose,

that means your father was innocent.

They prove my guilt by my father's

and my father's by mine.

Kind of a tight circle.

And we've got to find a way to open it up.

But we will.

Anyway, thank you for trying.

Don't thank me,

I'm not just trying to clear your father's name

and get you out of here.

Whoever tried to shoot me is going to answer for it.

Sheriff?Yeah?

You don't have enough evidence to hold her and you know it.

Enough to hold her on suspicion.

Just as long as it's not enough for one of those

jack rabbit trials of yours.

If we get enough evidence on her,

we'll try her. If not, we'll let her go.

You ought to be out trying to find evidence

of the real killer.

I'm a little tired of you telling me

what I should and shouldn't be doing.

Now you haul your freight out of here

before you find yourself dusting a jail bunk

with the seat of your britches.

And don't worry about Miss Julie.

If we decide to try her,

I'll let you know in plenty of time.

All I'm asking is for you to think back.

There might have been some small detail you overlooked.

I didn't overlook a thing.

I'm sick and tired of your suggesting

I mishandled this case.

Well, somebody slipped up somewhere.

A man's been hanged like it didn't matter.

Now you wait a minute.

Ev Keleher was a friend of mine.

He was a good friend.

I'd have given my right arm to save him.

But there's only so much that a man can do.

Will you face it? Ev was guilty.

I can't change that.

He wasn't guilty, he was with me.

Well, now that won't wash, friend.

The jury wouldn't buy it,

I don't believe it, no one does.

It happens to be the truth.

Well, if you'd have been there,

you'd have seen I did all I could.

I really undermined Edna Holtzhoff's testimony,

but there was Norris and Ev's threats.

Now Ev never should have made those threats in public,

but that's the Kelehers.

They're hot-headed, they're hot-tempered.

Now Julie's gone and done exactly the same thing.

Like father, like daughter.

It's a shame.

I suppose she'll want me to help--

You win, forget it.

Beg your pardon?

If I ever get in trouble,

maybe you can recommend a good lawyer.

You see, if I'm right, Miss Holtzhoff,

the murderer killed Norris to keep him

from changing his testimony,

and you could be next.

Young man, there is no reason to try and frighten me.

Nobody is going to try and shut me up.

Because it was Ev Keleher who shot Arney.

I saw it with my own eyes.

So there is no other killer.

And nothing for me to be afraid of, is there?

Good day.

[ door closes ]

Look at that broken shoe.

Well, it stands out like spots on a $2 shirt.

So?

So you find the man that owns that horse

with a broken right front shoe

before he gets it reshod,

because he tied his horse right here.

What does that prove?

Well, why back here with all those hitching rails

out in front?

Well, that don't prove he was a killer,

because these prints could have been made anytime.

Yeah, but he better have a good answer where he was

when Norris was killed.

I suppose.

There are a lot of horses hereabouts,

ain't going to be easy.

Well, you can try, can't you?

You telling me how to do my job again?

No.

No, you'd rather stand here and argue with me

rather than check out the first decent clue we've got.

Now don't get your feathers up.

I just said it ain't going to be easy.

Well, you could start by looking for anyone

who had any trouble with Arney Jackson.

That ought to narrow the field down some.

Narrows it plumb out of sight.

Nobody had any trouble with Arney except Ev Keleher.

He must have had some other enemies.

No.

Everybody liked Arney Jackson.

You know, the way you sound,

you're going on the idea

that whoever killed Arney, killed Norris.

That's right.

And there's one way to find out.

Yeah.

What do you think that gate's for, mister?

Cattle.

And trespassers.

What are you afraid of?

Just careful.

You looking for anything special?

Maybe you.

This is Arney Jackson's spread, isn't it?

Was, until Ev Keleher shot him.

Didn't Jackson have any other enemies?

With Keleher again, what more do you need?

You can close that gate now from the outside.

I want to talk to Marv Jackson.

Who says he wants to talk to you?

[ horse neighing ]

That's him coming now, isn't it?

Suppose he decides it.

I thought you left town.

That brought me back.

I take it unkindly

when somebody tries to kill me.

Maybe it wasn't meant to kill you.

It could have been a warning.

If that was supposed to scare me off,

whoever did it is in for a big disappointment.

Well, that's up to you.

But if somebody put a bullet through my hat,

I'd figure it this way.

He could just as easy put it through my skull

if he had a mind to.

And I wouldn't be offering him a second chance.

I'll think about it.

Yeah, do that.

But not here, this is private property.

Yeah, it belongs to you now, doesn't it?

Now that your uncle is dead.

Mine.

And nobody comes on unless I invite them.

Thanks for the hospitality.

What do you think you're doing?

Hold it!

You going to shoot me, too?

Get out of here.

Out!

We'll meet again.

What now?

I found that broken horseshoe.

Where did you find it?

On Marv Jackson's horse.

Well, it looks like you also found something else.

You want to hear about that broken horseshoe or not?

Sure, go ahead.

Well, it's simple,

everything falls into place.

Who had more to gain by Arney Jackson's death?

Marv, because he inherited the ranch.Yeah.

So he took advantage of Keleher's threats

against his uncle and killed him,

knowing that Keleher was going to get blamed.

But just to make sure, he bribes Norris

into saying he saw Keleher shooting.

And then kills Norris to shut him up.

That's it.

You reckon I didn't think of all that?

Well, you sure don't act like it.

There's only one thing wrong with it.

And what's that?

It couldn't have been Marv.

Why not?

Marv Jackson has a solid alibi

for the time of each murder.

It's true, Julie.

Both of his alibis stand up.

When his uncle was killed, Marv was in the casino

in plain sight of more than two dozen people.

And when Sam Norris was killed?

Well, Norris' room was right over the casino.

Now if it was open,

everybody would have heard the shotgun blast.

So he must have been killed

while it was closed, is that it?

Yeah.

But Marv went down to the casino last night,

he got drunk, he got in a fight

and the sheriff threw him in jail.

He was released this morning when the casino opened.

That means that he was locked up

all the time the casino was closed.

[ gunshots ]

Yahoo!

What's going on out here?

Hey, Miss Holtzhoff, it's only me!

Who are you?

You know me!

Evening, ma'am.

Who in heaven's name is that?

Oh, it is you.

And I was right where you testified

Ev Keleher was when he shot Jackson.

And yet you couldn't recognize me in the dark.

I knew Ev a great deal better than I know you.

Well, even so, how--

I saw what I saw.

Now you got to believe me.

I know now how Marv Jackson did it.

He figures whoever killed Arney killed Norris.

That's enough, young man.

Well, now hear me out.

I saw Edna Holtzhoff again.

She says she only saw one man the night of the killing,

the murderer.

But if Norris was there,

why didn't she see him, too?

Depends on where he was standing.

And it was dark.

But if he was close enough to see the killer,

she should have seen him.

Are you trying to tell us that Norris wasn't there?

No, no.

No, Norris was there

but not as a witness, as the murderer.

Murderer?

That's right.

He's about Keleher's size, he's the one she saw

and thought it was Keleher.

Norris had no call to kill Arney.

He was hired.Hired?

Hired by Marv Jackson.

That way he gets rid of his uncle,

he's in the casino the time of the killing.

Maybe.

And then he has to shoot Norris to shut him up.

Marvin couldn't have killed Norris,

he was in jail.

Unless you're trying to suggest

he used a hired gun, too.

Then he'd have to hire someone else

to kill the second gun.

You'll have to do better than that.

Now wait a minute.

Marv Jackson killed Norris.

Impossible.Why?

Because no one heard the shot?

And just suppose that he was killed someplace else,

brought back here.

Now Jackson comes down here in the casino,

gets drunk, gets thrown in jail.

Even if you're right, you got no proof.

Marv invited Norris out to his ranch and killed him.

If we could just find bloodstains--

If we could just find, if we could just find.

If we could just find some stranger

wandering around in the hills.

If we could find a horse with a broken shoe.

If we could find bloodstains.

There was a stranger in the hills. That was me.

And we did find a horse with a broken shoe

and it belonged to Marv Jackson.

And there were two witnesses who saw the shooting.

Now Keleher got a legal trial

and he was legally executed.

And I'm not going to tolerate any more of your attempts

to undermine authority in this town.

Keleher was a hardened criminal,

a jailbird.

Town's better off without him.

And that's your defense?

Well, if your verdict was right,

there would be no need for a defense.

Not from you or anybody!

Now you just get this straight, young man!

I'm giving you exactly one hour to leave this town.

It's 7:15,

if you're still here at 8:15,

I'm ordering the sheriff to lock you up

for obstructing justice.

Now is that clear?

Yeah, I'd say so.

And I'm going to do the same.

You talk about a legal trial, a legal hanging.

Well, maybe you know more law than I do,

but I have heard something about due process

and Ev Keleher didn't get it.

The law is not set up just to punish criminals,

it's supposed to give honest people,

innocent people a chance to defend themselves.

And Ev Keleher didn't get his chance.

You're wasting time.

Well, you're cutting corners.

When you tamper with the law, mister,

you're tampering with something bigger than you

and bigger than this whole town.

And don't tell me your intentions were good,

because we know where the road

that's paved with them leads to.

[ knocking on door ]

Come in.

I thought you'd gone to bed.

Thought about it.

Only I knew I couldn't sleep

until I got one thing settled.

If it's about the Keleher trial,

I don't want to hear anything more about it.

Yeah, I know.

That's why I figured you'd want that.

You afraid to wear it anymore, Sheriff?

I guess that's one way of putting it.

I'd...

I'd have preferred you to wait

until after this trouble was over.

And I'd have preferred someone else

to put the rope around Ev Keleher's neck.

But it was me that had to do it.

And on the strength of a trial

that now I'm ashamed of being a part of.

You did your job just as I did mine.

There's more to the law than that.

It ain't just a job,

something you can hide behind like a barn

when the wind's blowing the wrong way.

I never knew you were all that sensitive before.

There's a lot of things about me you don't know, Judge.

I was raised in these parts.

I had a stake in this town.

That's why I took the job

of getting rid of the wild bunch

that was here.

Your fast law was fine then

because it had to be fast.

But that job was over more than a year ago.

I'll be the one to decide when it's over.

You decide a lot of things.

Only you don't know when to quit.

If it hadn't been for that young fellow Sherman...

I might not have known either.

[ horse neighing ]

[ door creaking ]

Like I told you before,

whoever put that bullet through your hat

could just as easily put one through your skull.

And who ever heard of anybody being hung

for gunning a prowler?

Keleher was hung for less.

Keleher was hung for having the brains of a hog,

and a man could get shot for the same thing.

Won't do you any good.

I found out the truth,

somebody else is bound to sooner or later.

Yeah.

Nobody else wants to,

and you know it.

That's where you're wrong, Marv.

[ gunshot ]

Keep going.

Glad you finally believe me.

I more than half-believed you right from the start.

You think you can let Julie out of jail now?

I reckon she'll be safe enough,

now that we got this back-shooter all wrapped up.

I imagine she'd be pleased to know

her pa's been proven innocent.

Be more comforting

if the proving had been done before you hanged him.

I made a lot of mistakes in my life, Sherman,

but honestly, I don't believe I ever hung an innocent man.

What are you saying?

Come on and I'll show you.

All right, let's go.

I'm sorry it had to be done this way, honey,

but the sheriff convinced me.

Well, maybe I was wrong in causing you grief, Julie,

but I figured it was the only way

to keep the pot boiling.

See, if you'd known your pa was alive,

you mightn't have pushed so hard.

Of course, I didn't figure on Slim's temper.

That helped a might.

Well, maybe I'll get mad later

when I have time to think it over.

Right now I'm too happy.

And you, Slim, I...

I don't know what to say to you.

Well, the little treatment I got says quite a bit,

seems to me.

Ev, you figure you and I were ever that young?

Ah.

There iss something I'm curious about.

What was in that grave

you were filling in the other day?

Coffin full of rocks.

Say, that reminds me, you owe the county $10.

You put it on my bill.

Come on.

Mike, I wouldn't hold that marshmallow

so close to the fire.

You know, that burns just like anything else.

I like mine charred.

Well...

Well, you get it any darker

and you're going to be eating ashes.

Slim?Yeah?

You know that judge you was telling me about,

the one that quit?

What about him?

Well, was he a judge like the one

that let me stay here with you, Jess and Daisy?

Well, I guess so. Why?

Well, aren't all judges good?

Oh, they try to be, Mike,

but they're people just like anybody else.

And now and then there's...

well, there's bound to be one that makes a mistake.

Well, what if that happened to the one

that let me stay here?

What are you getting at, Mike?

Suppose he made a mistake

and quit...

would that mean I couldn't stay here anymore?

Mike, this is your home

for as long as you want to stay.

But there is one thing

you're going to have to watch out for.

What's that?

Your marshmallow's on fire.

[ blowing ]