Original subtitles

[ theme music playing ]

[ bird screeching ]

Dad?

Dad?

[ screeching ]

KING: It's that chicken hawk again.

[ screeching ]

[ gun firing ]

You scared him away, Dad.

He won't be back for a while.

Well, I shoulda killed him.

Hello, Mr. King.

Trampas.

Judy.

Well, it's good to see you both.

I haven't seen you around the place lately.

You been keepin' busy?

Yes sir, I sure have.

Riding fence, mostly.

Turns out there's more walking than riding.

Digging post holes and stringin' wire.

It's terrible work.

[ laughing ]

I'd still be there if I hadn't run out of staples.

You--you going on into town,

I'll just ride along with ya.

You suit yourself.

Thank you, Trampas.

My pleasure, Miss Judy.

I'm glad I ran into you.

Gives me a chance to ask you about tonight.

There's a barn dance at Louis's place.

I'd sure like to take you.

Well, don't look at me.

It's you he's asking.

Well, I'd like to, but, uh...

I have a lot of things I have to do at home.

Well, I'll get you home early.

Well, let me think about it.

I have to go to the bank with Dad--

No, I have to go to the bank.

Youhave to do your shopping.

Here, let me carry your basket.

Now there's four dozen fresh eggs in there.

The last time you--

Oh yeah, yeah.

Tripped.

Well, it can happen to anyone.

All right. But watch your step.

When do you want me back?

KING: About an hour. Don't worry about it.

If you're not here when I get back, I can wait.

Oh, Judy,

don't you buy the whole place out.

I won't, and... good luck, Dad.

Well, I'm not asking you for money.

You see, I just want an extension.

Uh, you know, time.

Look, I don't want to lose my ranch!

And I don't want you to lose it,

but you're not a good risk.

Risk?

"I am not a good risk"?

I was a good enough risk

for you people to let me lay my life on the line

every day of the year for 20 years.

That's right.

Knowing your record as Sheriff, the bank figured

you had a good chance at success, but...

I'm sorry.

It's simply a matter of good business.

Well.

You still have 30 days, Bill.

I don't want to owe any man.

I can't meet the loan,

so go ahead and foreclose.

I can't even pay the interest.

Here, that's solid gold. Even the chain.

You were there when they gave it to me. You oughta know.

That oughta pay the interest on that loan.

I can't take your watch.

Wha--?

But I'll tell you what.

Maybe you have some other souvenirs.

You know, from the old days.

Your old guns, handcuffs, posters.

I know a collector in Chicago

who's always in the market for such things.

I can arrange to sell them for you.

Get enough at least to pay the interest,

and then the bank can make arrangements--

"Souvenirs."

This man will give you good money for them.

You come with me.

Get over there to that window.

You look out there.

That's my souvenir, Mister.

A safe, peaceful town.

A good place to live in.

What's that worth to ya?

[ people chatting, laughing ]

Well, how about it?

Be right with ya, Bill.

What do you say, Bill?

Oh, Emmitt.

Thirsty. You have one?

Yeah, yeah, thank you.

Sorry, Mr. King, we were just having--

Nevermind. We can manage.

Emmitt...

what made you take up the law?

Oh, I--

Like the fella says, uh...

Seemed like a good idea at the time.

MAN: Hey, ain't that Ben?

MAN 2: Yeah, that's Ben Wallace.

Are you all right, Ben?

Yeah. Lift that tailgate out, will ya?

KING: What happened?

Three men jumped us.

All right, a couple of you fellas!

Get him to the Doc real fast.

Take it easy.

Where'd it happen, Ben?

Oak Creek.

Take it easy.

Must've known it was shipment day.

Yeah. Only got three pouches, though.

Six or eight hundred dollars.

EMMITT: Why didn't they take it all, Ben?

BEN: Well...

Some of the J-Bar-J Boys

on the way into town heard the shots

and they come a-runnin' and a-shootin'.

What did they look like?

Well, they had me layin' face-down in the wagon.

All I could tell ya for sure

is that they had arms and legs and guns.

One of 'em was riding a white-stockinged bay.

EMMITT: That oughta help.

What do you think, Bill?

You know as well as I do, Emmitt,

first thing they'll do is split up.

Give you three trails to follow.

Yeah.

All right, we're going to need a posse.

Eight to ten men.

If you'd like to come along, we could use ya, Bill.

Oh, no thanks, Emmitt.

You've got all the help you need right here.

All right.

All right, Ben, you wanna give me a hand

with the chest in my office?

EMMITT: All right, jump down.

[ man grunting ]

Six, eight hundred dollars.

[ whistling ]

A man could do a lot with that kind of money.

Trampas, that's all you've been talking about

ever since we left town.

[ chuckling ] I guess I have.

Well, here's where I turn off.

Oh. Whoa, boy.

Judy, about that dance tonight...

Trampas, I--

By rights I should be out with Emmitt and the posse.

He isa friend of mine...

but on the other hand, he isn't as pretty as you are.

Pick you up around seven.

[ chuckling ] Oh, Trampas.

I got a notion to stop over

and watch you build fence.

I wanna see what kind of staples you're gonna use

in place of the ones you forgot to get.

Ohh. Judy, I might be a shade late.

Just a shade.

[ laughing ]

Since you're not going to volunteer,

I guess I'll have to pry.

Well, I didn't get that loan extension,

if that's what you mean.

Oh, Dad, I'm sorry.

I was so sure they'd give you that extension.

Is that why you bought all this stuff?

And canned fruit?

Judy, I told you that our credit was stretched

as tight as a drum.

Well, everybody likes you and trusts you.

I just-- It's not that.

It's not a question of liking or trusting.

It's a question of business.

I'm not a good risk at the bank.

Mr. Bell at the store is...

He's always saying how he could use some extra help.

Just during the week.

I could come home on the weekends and do the cleaning.

It wouldn't--No.

You're not working to support me.

It's for us. For both of us,

not just you.

And we could use the money.

Judy, we're not going to talk about this again.

I can take care of ya, and I don't need any help.

Besides, how would it look,

you working down there at that store,

everybody knowing I was busted?

Dad...I get lonesome sometimes.

I could meet new people and make new friends.

Friends? Well, you've got friends.

Trampas is a good man.

And I've been thinking that some day, maybe...

There's nothing serious between us.

Well, there oughta be.

He's serious. You can tell that by looking at him.

Judy, you could do a lot worse.

What are you doing with all this stuff?

You're right. We don't need these things.

The next time we go into town, I'll take them back.

[ Trampas knocking on door ]

Trampas.

Evening, Bill.Evening.

You're a mite early,

or Judy's a mite late.

I don't know which, but she's not ready yet,

so you're going to have to wait a little bit.

I, uh...

picked 'em myself.

Oh, they're for me?

[ laughing ] Oh.

No, they're for Judy.

I found 'em along the road.

Hey, you've got quite a collection here.

Oh...

Yeah. Oh, that bullet there,

the doctor took that out of me.

I got bushwhacked trailing a horse thief.

Where'd he hit you?

I ain't sayin'.

But I ate standing up for most part of a month.

[ both chuckling ]

You know, I'm awfully glad that we had this minute

to talk together here alone.

Oh? Yeah, sit down.

You know, Trampas,

I, uh...I've been meaning to ask you something.

What's that?

Well, I get a feeling

that you're pretty fond of Judy.

I am.

No, I mean especially fond.

That's what I mean.

I want you to know that I don't have any objections.

You're a good, steady man, you've got a job

you needn't be ashamed of.

Well...

That, uh, looks like you're leaving something out.

Leaving some-- what do you mean? What's that?

Well, that's...

a little matter of, uh,

being in love.

Right now, it's a mite one-sided.

Yeah.

Yeah, I don't understand that.

Judy likes ya, I know.

You sure were seeing enough of each other for a while.

I'll tell ya something, son.

These young girls...

they don't know what they want...

'Till somebody shows 'em.

Tells 'em.

Well...

I don't know.

You can take my word for it.

Hello, Trampas.

Judy.

Oh, what beautiful flowers.

There.

That's better.

We won't be late.

You have a good time, now, you hear?

Goodnight, Bill.

Good night.

[ Trampas whistling ]

[ whistling continues ]

Don't do it.

I don't want to have to shoot you.

Is it true you killed 15 men?

You know me?

Is it true?

No.

No, sixmen.

Then all the stories about you are lies,

aren't they?

And all these trinkets are lies, too.

[ crashing ]

You've gotten old.

I thought you were old then, but you weren't really old.

You were just soft.

Coates.

Sam Coates.

That's really something,

the way you remembered that.

After ten years.

I picked you up on suspicion

for slugging an old man

and lifting his wallet.

You did me a favor then.

You let me go.

Well, you were just a kid.

So I'm gonna make it up to you.

I'm gonna need some rest,

some food, and a fresh horse.

The gold robbery.

You were part of that, weren't you?

You're asking me to help a thief?

Wouldn't be the first time.

You made a mistake, Mr. King.

You let me go, but I did it.

I slugged and robbed that old man...

and I talked you into believing I was innocent.

You get outta here.

Ah, don't worry.

I don't intend to let the good citizens of Medicine Bow

know any of this.

They might start to wondering

how many other mistakes you've made over the years.

I wouldn't want that.

I intend to leave your reputation,

your honor, untarnished.

That is, in exchange for what I need.

My honor?

[ chuckling ]

You're gonna save my honor?

[ Bill laughing ]

What's so funny?

What the devil do I care about honor?

If I had a gun in my hand,

I'd run you in for the reward that's gotta be on you

for the cold, hard cash.

You're not worth reputation to me.

Only money.

You mean Bill King can be bought.

You get outta here.

For food and a place to stay.

I passed a small plaster operation

on the way here.

Have you been mining?

That's raw gold.

You could say you mined it.

And you don't have to worry about me.

Nobody knows who I am.

They didn't see what we looked like.

[ music playing ]

Well.

That wasn't so hard, was it?

What?

Coming with me to the dance tonight.

No, it wasn't.

Then you're not sorry?

No, I'm not.

And you are having a good time?

Yes.

Well.

You know, sometimes when I'm lying on my bedrow,

those stars look cold, far away, and lonely.

But tonight's different.

Don't, please.

Why not?

I'm fond of you, Trampas.

Maybe I'm in love with you a little.

But it can't go any further than that.

Is that why you stopped seeing me?

'Cause you thought we were falling in love?

Yes, I guess so.

Judy, you look at me and all you see

is a dollar-a-day cowhand.

You think you know everything about me,

what I can do, what I can be.

There's nothing I can't do.

Judy, look at me.

Good and hard.

That's all I can give you, Trampas.

Why are you afraid?

I know Medicine Bow isn't the world.

There's St. Louis, Chicago, New York.

You just can't give me all the things I want.

Judy, I can give you a home, family, respect.

Those things are important.

I want them...

but there's time.

There's got to be time.

Do you understand?

All I know is I've been to some of those places.

Chicago, St. Louis.

It's not any different there.

You know why?

Because no matter where you go,

you take yourself with you.

Come on, I'll take you home.

Well, I guess I'd better say goodnight.

Oh, won't you come in for just a moment?

Well, I gotta do chores.

Please. For Dad's sake.

Come in and say goodnight.

All right.

Oh, Judy.

Uh...this is my daughter.

This is Sam Coates.

He's the son of an old friend of mine.

Mr. Coates.

It's a pleasure, Miss Judy.

And this is Trampas.

He just took Judy to a dance.

He works over at Shiloh. Trampas, this is Sam Coates.

Pleasure.

I hope you enjoyed the dance, Miss Judy.

I did, thank you.

Uh...well, it's a long ride back to Shiloh.

I guess I'd better get started.

Good night, Judy.

Mr. King.Good night, Trampas.

I hope to see you again real soon here.

Good night, Trampas.

Nice meeting you.

I was only planning on staying a day or so.

Come to think of it, I might be able to stay a little longer.

KING: But--

At least long enough to get to know

your lovely daughter.

You don't mind, Mr. King, do you?

No. I don't mind.

Somebody else coming to this meeting?

Yeah, Bert March, Ben.

Oh. Bank President, huh?

Yeah.

What do you want him for?

Well, he's on the receiving end

of these gold shipments.

Hmm.

Hope the meetin' ain't gonna last too long.

I gotta go home and get some rest.

Yeah.

How are ya, Bert?Sheriff.

Why don't you sit over here with Ben?

Mr. Wallace. Howdy.

I guess we can get started now.

While I was out chasing those three bandits

and catching nothing but air,

I came up with an idea.

An idea that, uh, could make Ben's and my job

a lot easier.

What sort of idea?

Instead of picking up the gold at the mining camp

once a month,

Let Ben make five, maybe--

oh, maybe six trips a month.

What in the world are you talking about, Sheriff?

Well, you ship from the camp

to your bank five or six times a month, see,

but--and this is what's most important--

only on one certain day

you carry the gold.

Just one day a month.

The rest of the time, you carry sand.

Very interesting.

I still don't get it.

What I'm saying, Ben,

is there are a lot of gunmen who'd risk their lives

to get gold that they know is there,

but not when they know the odds are six-to-one

that they might grab a bag full of sand.

Ohh!

Sixtrips a month?

Yeah.

With Pete all shot up,

I gotta make six t--

I, uh... can't do that alone.

I gotta get spelled.

I gotta have a man.

I'll tell you what. You look around.

You find someone, you let me know.

As I understand it now, Sheriff,

only one man will know on which day

the shipment will be gold.

Mr. Wallace here or whoever spells him.

That's right, and of course there's one other point.

What?

Everybody in town has to know what we're doing.

I mean, what's going on.

BEN: Wait a minute!

I thought you were trying to make this

a safe operation.

Yeah, that's what's going to make it safe, Ben.

You don't want some fool gunman coming in here

not knowing the odds against him,

shooting you in the head just to get a chest full of sand.

[ hooves trotting ]

It's Sam.

I was beginning to get worried.

Not a thing to worry about.

What about this place?

We hid out there in the bushes

and watched the Sheriff and his posse go through it

before we even came in.

It oughta be all right.

Where you been, Sam?

I'll tell ya.

I remembered an old friend was living up here,

so I dropped in on him.

He's been taking real good care of me, too.

Friend? What friend?

A retired sheriff.

Tell you what I'd like to do.

I'd like to leave. Now.

Why?

No one can identify us.

As long as we're careful

and aren't seen together,

we can come and go as we please.

Why stay around?

We got enough to hold us for a while.

Because there's more.

Every month, there's more.

Listen, Kelly, we didn't get half

of what there was that first shipment alone.

We're gonna take us a whole shipment

before we go.

Make up your mind, Stewart.

I wish somebody would tell me how.

Hitting them once has got 'em spooked.

I'll lay odds on that.

Spooked or not,

they'll still be shipping that gold.

And when they ship it,

there's a way to take it.

I don't know how yet...

but I'll find it.

You stay here.

When I find a way, I'll let you know.

[ horses whinnying ]

Watch it, Tim.

[ coughing ]

Trampas, take it easy.

Gotta rest your bones a little bit.

Get me on that mustang.

Here, here--I'll break his neck

or I'll kill him!

Take it easy!

Let me go, will ya?

And lose a good horse?

Take your hands off me. I'm all right.

Hey, now. You sure have been getting rancid lately.

That's a fact.

He took a swing at me just yesterday,

and I didn't do a thing.

Uh-huh.

What's bothering you, Trampas?

Nothing.

Look, you've been fighting everything and everybody

for near a week.

It's something on your mind, let it out.

You know, uh...

Bill King's daughter, Judy?

Oh, just to say hello to.

Must really be something, she got you all steamed up like this.

I never seen you this way before.

Well, I never been this way before.

You're...you mean

it's serious?

Well, have you talked to her?

Sure, I've talked to her.

Well, talk to her some more.

After you've finished everything you've got to do here.

In the meantime, I'd appreciate it

if you wouldn't kill any of the horses.

Or any of the men, either, for that matter.

The thing I can't get over is he didn't turn a hair.

Me, I saw the dust piled up

back of those riffle slats,

and I was flying around like a bee in a bottle.

If I'd been there, I'd have been so excited.

I can see now why your dad never lost any sleep over outlaws.

Ice water in his veins.

Solid ice.

But I'm not excited.

I have a fresh apple pie here

and forgot all about it.

Thanks, but I couldn't eat another bite.

Judy, I think we'd better be getting into town.

Would it be all right

if I rode along with you a ways?

I might not see you again.

I want to make the most of the time I have.

Of course it's all right.

Thank you.

Well, I guess I'd better get this gold

down to the essayer's office.

Judy, will you come along with me?

No thanks, Dad.

I want to walk down the street

and look in all the store windows

at everything that we could buy now.

If we wanted to.

Well, Coates, I guess you'll be moving along, huh?

No real hurry.

Matter of fact, I was thinking

I might keep Miss Judy company for a while.

Bill! Just the man I wanted to see.

Hiya, Miss Judy.

Hello, Mr. Wallace.

Ben, this is Sam Coates here.

Ben Wallace.

Howdy.

Bill...I wanna talk some business to you.

No, not now, Ben.

A little later.

I've got to, uh--

Come on, let me buy you a drink.

All right.

Come on. This is important.

I'll buy you one, for a change.

I've had some good luck here.

I reckon it's a pretty good color.

Well, good! You had it coming to you.

It's nice of you to offer,

but you don't have to keep me company.

I want to.

Where will you be going when you leave Medicine Bow?

I'm not sure.

Denver, maybe.

Have you ever been to St. Louis?

Yes.

Once or twice.

Oh, I'd love to go there.

I'd like to take you there.

So...

you see, with the back-and-forth,

it's more of a job than I can handle alone.

I need somebody to spell me.

I can't think of anybody better than you.

Well, how about it?

Well, Ben, it's right decent of you

to think of me, but...

I've got this little claim to work.

Now, I'll tell you what.

I'll leave the job open for a while.

Maybe you'll change your mind.

Maybe...this pocket will work out.

We'll leave it like that, okay?

Yeah.

Ben?

There's something you ought to know.

Yeah?

Standing back here, I hear a lot of talk.

Cattle, poker, women--you know.

Lately, I've been hearing only one thing.

What's that?

What's the best way to rob

your gold shipment.

[ laughing ]

Trying to figure what's the best way

to beat them odds, huh?

That's it.

Maybe none of the fellas around here

are gonna try it,

but there's a little of the gambler in every man.

The idea has got 'em talking.

It's only a couple of steps between talking and doing.

That's human nature.

Why, they would have better odds

betting their lives

that they could name a certain card

and pull it out of a full pack.

Can I buy you a drink, young fella?

Much obliged.

Where's Judy?

I left her at the millinery.

Last time I saw her, she's was trying on something

that looked like an eagle's nest

with lace all over it.

Looked real pretty, too.

On her.

Coming along, Ben?

Yep.

Judy, I...

I have a surprise for you.

I paid off my note to date

and then some.

I'm clear with the bank.

That's wonderful, Dad.

Yes, yes, that's wonderful

for both of us.

I better get supper started.

Well, Judy, don't you understand?

My luck has changed.

I settled our account at Bell's.

We can--we can eat canned peaches

anytime we want to.

We can buy all the new dresses we want.

Anything.

What's the matter?

Dad...I want to go away.

Away?

I wouldn't have asked you before,

and I wouldn't have left,

but now--

I know that I used most of the money

to pay off our debts,

but Judy, my luck has changed.

That's why I can ask you now.

Let me go.

Goin' a-where?

What'll you do?

I could go to St. Louis.

Or to Chicago, maybe.

I can get a job,

not because I have to,

but because I want to.

But Judy, my luck has--

But what about myluck?

What about my chances?

I want to go away.

I want something to happen to me.

[ hooves stomping ]

Good evening, Mr. King.

Only friends.

What do you want?

To talk, Mr. King.

Just to talk.

Let's go into the barn.

I'd like you to meet Smith and Kelly.

This is Bill King.

I'm sure you've heard of him.

He was a pretty well-known law man at one time.

You were with them on that robbery, weren't you?

They were with me.

I did what you asked.

I gave you time and a place to stay.

Now I'm through with ya.

The boys and I have talked it over.

We're disappointed.

A few hundred dollars' worth of gold

split three ways,

and then there was your cut,

really wasn't worth the trouble we went to.

SMITH: That's right, King.

And seeing as how you and Sam here

are such good old friends,

we thought we'd make a new deal.

You get outta here.

I'm finished with ya.

You're going to help us.

You haven't got a choice.

No, I'm not going to help you in any way.

You want to get more gold, you get it on your own,

not with me.

I understand the odds are a little different

than they were before.

I want to cut them down.

I said you've got no choice.

You took gold from me.

You're already in it.

How would the good people of Medicine Bow feel

if they found out that their famous law man

was no better than a thief?

How would Miss Judy feel?

You keep her name out of your dirty mouth.

Don't you ever point a gun at me.

[ men laughing ]

KELLY: Mr. King. He's dangerous, huh?

[ laughing ]

He could have killed us all.

Hello, Bill.

Nothing in the world grows faster than weeds...

in a place where a man don't want 'em.

Yes, I've noticed that.

Ellie used to love this old tree.

Used to come sit here.

Evenings, when the weather got warm.

Said the tree talked to her...

but I never heard nothin'

except the wind rattling the leaves.

But I wouldn't say she was wrong.

Nor me.

Got a fire in the stove, coffee in the pot.

Just about the way you like it.

Thick enough to float a bullet

and strong enough to melt one.

[ laughing ]

Just so long as it's warm.

Yeah.

It's what my Daddy used to call

a soldier's breakfast.

And he could do without the coffee.

Oh. [ chuckling ]

Yeah, just a touch.

That's it.

Maybe that's just what I needed.

I've been feeling old lately.

When the freight line ain't doing good,

I worry, and when it is,

I work too hard and...

get to feeling old.

Oh, it's just that misery in your stomach.

Didn't the doctor do you any good?

No.

He just poked.

And then he says, um,

"Something wrong inside."

Just like I didn't know it already.

Then he...he give me some tonic.

No good.

What do you suppose it could be?

Blast only knows.

Seems when I worry...

it gets worse.

Like, uh, tomorrow.

I'm hauling gold instead of sand

into Medicine Bow.

Sure as shootin'...

it'll start acting up again.

We're both getting kind of old.

I'm getting shaky.

No no no no no,

no, Ben, no no, I'm fine. I'm fine.

But, uh, Ben.

Shouldn't you keep it quiet?

I mean, when you're hauling gold

instead of sand?

Sure, sure.

But you don't matter,

being a law man.

Well, almost.

How's that plaster operation of yours doing?

Oh, Ben, it's likely to give out

any day now.

It's not as big a plaster mine

as I thought it was.

You know, I woulda swore

you was wasting your time.

That goes to show you, don't it?

Man works hard and keep faith...

no telling what'll happen.

Hyeah!

[ whistling ] Hyeah!

Hyeah! Move.

[ whistle ] Hyeah!

What do you say?

Got a minute? I'd like to talk to you.

All right, what brings you out here?

I've been out looking for a white-stockinged bay horse.

You see anything like that lately?

No. Why?

One of the outlaws that robbed the gold shipment

rode a horse like that.

Still no sign of 'em, huh?

No.

How's your romance coming with Judy King?

I understand you and she are getting kinda thick.

She's a real pretty girl, isn't she?

Yeah, I've noticed that, too.

How well do you know her father?

As well as anybody, I guess.

I thought you might know him

a little better than anybody.

I mean, you know, because of the girl.

What are you getting at?

Well, King found some gold on his place.

Yeah, I heard.

He's been hunting it for a long time.

He's never had much luck up till now.

First good strike he's had.

Emmitt...what are all the questions about?

Well, Ben Wallace was robbed of some gold

just before King found some gold.

Are you hinting that King

had something to do with the robbery?

Emmitt, he's a law man. He wouldn't rob nobody.

What's more, he was in town

when Ben Wallace came in to tell about it.

He couldn't have done it.

Never heard of such questions my whole life.

Asking questions is my job.

Well, right now I wouldn't give you two cents for your job.

Hello, Trampas.

Well, I stayed away as long as I could.

Sit down. I'll fix you something to eat.

Fine.

Would you like some cake?

Sounds good.

You're looking very nice.

I can't imagine where Dad is.

You think I came to see him?

We haven't had a chance to talk

since the dance.

I've been here.

Yeah, I know.

Except for that time you rode into town

with that fella Coates.

I was on my way to see you.

Dad was taking some gold into the essayer.

Well, I...I was glad to hear about his good luck.

Thank you.

I was hoping that...

might've changed your mind about things.

I'm sorry, Trampas...

but it hasn't.

It's good cake.

You don't know how nice it was

to buy all the fixings.

It's been a long time since I've been able

to make a fancy cake like that.

Money sure helps, doesn't it?

Well, I expect your Dad's feeling chipper these days.

Well, you'd think so.

There for a while, he did seem to feel

better about things,

but not anymore.

Something wrong with him?

I honestly don't know.

He seems... troubled and sad.

I know he hasn't been sleeping well.

He's tramping around at all hours.

Maybe he's just working too hard.

I think it's more than that.

He seems worried about something.

Well, hello, Trampas.

Hello, Mr. King.

I, uh, stopped by to see Judy.

Oh, good.

Mr. King, uh...

that bay you got running

with the rest of your horses...

he's new, isn't he?

No. No, he's been here

for a long time.

Where'd you get him?

Oh, it was-- was a trade.

A man from Green Canyon Road,

one of the homesteaders up there,

he walked in here with that bay.

The horse had thrown a shoe and him...

and, uh, I swapped him a gray.

I made ten dollars to boot.

Green Canyon Road, huh?

Yes. Yeah.

That's got to be Henry Wirtz.

Well, it could be.

I don't recall.

He's the only homesteader left up there.

The rest gave up a long time ago.

So long, Mr. King.

We're wasting a lot of time, King.

Why?

Ben'll die fighting for that shipment.

He'll die to protect it.

All right.

Ben Wallace is a friend of yours.

A good friend.

But think of this:

If there's a chance of taking someone else's gold,

we'll take it.

If we get caught,

we go to prison.

But we don't hang.

We're not killers.

We didn't kill anybody last time, did we?

You came pretty close with Pete.

If Smith had wanted to kill that driver,

he'd be dead now.

That's right.

He surely would.

Kelly here was a pretty good hand

before he realized that money buys pleasure.

Why, he's so good with a rope,

you wouldn't believe it.

He can rope a galloping horse

by one leg...

and let you pick the leg.

He'll drop a loop over Ben Wallace

and pull him off that wagon.

He won't get hurt

and he won't get shot.

Kelly can miss. Anybody can miss.

He won't miss!

Now look, King, I'm tired of talking.

You don't have much left except a pretty daughter.

You don't want anything to happen to her.

You'll do as I say.

It's as simple as that.

All right.

They're shipping the gold tomorrow.

You've done your part.

You're in the clear.

Go home and forget about it.

Day after tomorrow,

'long about midnight be in your barn,

I'll put your share of the gold in your hand.

Well, roper?

You know I was never much of a hand, Sam.

What difference does it make?

King has to go along with us

whether he believed me or not.

SMITH: Coates.

You really gonna split with him?

Well, now, that wouldn't make an awful lot of sense,

now, would it?

No. No sense.

SMITH: None at all.

[ screeching ]

[ gun blast ]

I heard a shot.

Yeah, that chicken hawk was back,

and this time, I killed him.

You know, I've been thinking about what you said

about going away.

Dad, I didn't mean to hurt you.

You didn't hurt me.

You bruised my pride a little, that's all.

But if you want to go,

there's no reason in this world

why you shouldn't go.

No reason at all. You're a grown woman,

and you've gotta be right to do exactly

as you think is best.

Well, it doesn't have to be right now.

There are things to do...

and plans to make.

Oh, but just so I can think about it.

Think about it.

Will you write to me, Dad?

You count on it.

Howdy.

You Mr. Wirtz?

You got it, Mister.

Who be ya?

I'm from Shiloh.

Oh, the big spread.

Got business with me?

Horse business, maybe.

I heard about a bay you had.

Bay?

A fine-looking animal.

Three white stockings.

Heard you were thinking of selling or trading.

Where'd you hear that?

Around.

I ain't had a good horse in ten years.

Nothing but broomtails around here.

I ain't never had a bay with white stockings.

I guess somebody made a mistake.

Sorry I troubled you.

No trouble at all.

By the way...

have you ever done any business with Bill King?

The old law man?

Why...

I ain't seen him in five years.

Thanks.

Hey, uh--

you see old Bill King,

give him Henry Wirtz's regards, huh?

Sure. I'll do that.

[ knocking on door ]

Come in,

if your feet are clean.

Good morning, Ben.

Bill!

I didn't expect to see you again so soon.

I don't leave for an hour.

Why don't you pour us a couple of cups of coffee?

Got any cups around here?

Yeah, they're right here.

Still wet.

Dish washing is the peskiest job

known to man.

Or to woman, either, for that matter.

Some day, I am going to throw every darn dish out,

build myself a trough,

and go at grub the way the hogs do.

[ chuckling ]

Ahh.

Ugh.

Left that pot on too long.

Bitter as sin.

Not by half.

No?

What's that mean?

That hold-up crew.

The three that got away last time.

They're going to try it again today.

How would you know that?

You let something slip in town, huh?

Well, that can happen to anybody.

My say whether we move gold or sand.

Today we move sand.

I didn't let it slip.

It was no accident.

They sent me here to find out

when you'd move gold.

When I found out, I told them.

I'm not going to ask you any questions.

You did the right thing to tell me.

Now, we'll move sand.

And we'll lay a trap.

We'll move sand, all right,

but you're not gonna go.

Bill, whatever it is you're mixed up with,

you gotta get out of it right now.

Get out of it? I can't get out of it.

I'm in too deep already.

There never was any gold in that plaster pocket of mine.

I salted that with some of the stolen gold.

I told myself I was doing it for Judy.

That was a lie.

I told myself that I had it coming to me.

That was another lie.

And I told myself that I'd never see that thief again.

I knew better all the time.

Bill...

you go home,

and you stay there.

And I'll put three men in the wagon under canvas

and we'll take those thieves,

and I won't say how I knew there was gonna be a robbery.

Nobody'll ever know.

I'll know, Ben.

I'll know.

Ben, I started this

and it's up to me to finish it.

How are you going to keep me out of it?

You gonna shoot me, Bill?

I'm taking your place, Ben.

You lose something?

No, I was looking for Bill King or Judy.

No--nobody's home.

What have you got there?

Hey, it could've come from the plaster pocket.

Why don't we stop kidding each other?

Every ounce of the gold that Bill King took into town

is the same as the gold that was stolen.

The assayer pointed it out to me.

Two completely different locations,

identical color.

Now that's not too likely, is it?

Yeah.

He lied to me about that bay

he's got running out there in the corral.

Said he got it from a man named Henry Wirtz.

Wirtz never owned a horse like that.

It's just...

it's just hard to believe a man like King...

mixed up in a robbery.

You gotta believe it now.

Wonder how Judy'll take it?

Where is she?

I don't know.

Trampas.Judy.

What are you two doing here?

I knocked on the door. Nobody was around.

I was out picking berries. What is it?

Judy, where'd your father get

that white-stockinged bay horse?

From Mr. Coates. Why?

Coates?

Yes, what's wrong?

Where's your father now?

He said he was going to stop

at Ben Wallace's place.

Wallace? He's making a run today.

Maybe we can stop it.

What's going on?

Judy, stay here. I'll explain later.

That's the freight wagon, all right.

Wallace is alone.

All right, let's go.

Coates, like we planned?

We shoot him?

Just like we planned.

Sam, it's King!

[ hooves thundering ]

[ rasping breath ]

I'm hit too many times.

There's nothing you can do for me.

I took a share of that first robbery.

What's left of the gold

is in my barn.

Yeah, we found it, Bill.

I spent most of it.

There's no way to pay it back.

You just paid it back.

I had to.

They threatened Judy.

You tell her...

that I'm sorry for what folks'll say.

You were a law man...

and a good one, Bill.

That's all anybody has to know.

[ gasping ]

Thanks.

Bill.

Judy.

Are you sure you want to go?

I have to go, Trampas.

You know, everything my father did,

he did for me.

From the very beginning.

Maybe I don't understand anything about love...

but my father did.

[ crying ]

Don't cry.

I'm going to miss you.

I'm going to miss you, too.

I have something for you.

I know he'd want you to have it.

PORTER: Board!Well, I--

I'd better go.

Judy.

If you want to come back,

I'll be here.

[ theme music playing ]