Original subtitles

Mind you now, pick a horse that's heavy in the shoulders.

Big feet. Sure.

Don't let 'em palm off some old piece of crow bait on you.

Virginian wouldn't do that to you, Pa.

Never you mind.

Just make sure it's wagon-broke. And enough muscle for plowin'.

We're borrowing, Pa, not buying.

Don't make no difference.

Stand up there. Speak your peace.

We got our rights, even if we ain't Clay Graingers.

Whew.

What I could do with this here place if it was mine.

Hey! Giddap!

Hyah!

Howdy, Whit. Hi, Whit.

Hello, Harve. Howdy.

Figured as long as I was comin' over to get them bees,

Whit might as well pick up the horse same time.

Uh, Clay Grainger say it would be all right?

Well, he's not here right now, but I'm sure he won't object.

Yeah.

How are things? Is Ellen well?

Oh, yeah. Fine and dandy.

You gonna go after those bees dressed like that?

No, I sure ain't.

Uh, got my bridal veil here.

And my gloves. Been stung by a lot of people in my time.

I ain't never been stung by no bee.

Where'd you see 'em swarmin'?

- He didn't see 'em. Jim Horn saw 'em. - Botherin' the hands, was they?

Well, no. We just, uh, figured you could use another swarm.

Well, I'll take 'em away for you.

I'm always glad to do a friend a favor.

Thanks.

Trampas, fetch Jim.

And then you and Whit pick out a workhorse.

Yo.

I've never seen it to fail.

Do him a favor, he makes you feel like he's doing you one.

Think Shiloh's lending him a horse?

Mmm, he's breaking it in for you.

Well, Shiloh could always use a good plow horse.

Hey, Jim!

Yo! Come out here.

I didn't expect to see you around. I thought you were gonna take off.

Ah, that was wish-talking. He can't run that farm by himself.

We got company.

You call Whit company? I got better names for it than that. Howdy.

His pa wants your ropin' arm. Wants you to help him round up a bunch of bees.

Me? Yeah. You.

Jim!

I don't know nothin' about roundin' up bees.

They, uh, scare me.

I'll do that part of the work, boy.

Just show Harve where they were swarming.

Right now? Mm-hmm.

Well, they were in a little woodsy patch down by the creek.

Big swarm?

I didn't stop to count.

Mind what I told you about that horse, Whit.

I'll have him gentled down for you, time I get him back.

Fine. Hyah! Get out of here!

Ha! Come on there! Wake up there!

Whit!

I've got something for Ellen. It's a dress.

Tell her I've hardly worn it. It doesn't fit properly.

And I'm sure she'll be able to do something with it.

I'll thank you for her. It's just her color too.

Don't know which way we're luckier...

Pa having the Virginian for a friend, or us having the Graingers for neighbors.

Well, now. That's a right nice speech, Whit.

You're very welcome, Whit. And tell Ellen to come by soon.

Well, come on. Let's find that horse you're gonna gentle.

So long, Liz.

They're right across in there.

All right.

It's just up above those rocks.

They're in kind of a scrubby bush.

They were hangin' so heavy on one of those branches,

it was darn near bent to the ground.

All right. I'll have a look. You stay put.

No point in you gettin' all stung up.

I was thinkin' the same thing myself.

No! No... No, mister! No!

Harve?

Drop it! I said drop it!

I think he's dead.

Did you shoot him? I ain't got a gun.

I didn't even know he was there. I was just walkin' along.

Before I could say anything, he shot at me twice... and missed.

Yeah, he's dead.

That hole in him is a day old at least.

Must have died firin' at you.

And he's been dyin' ever since he got that hole in his belly. Why did he shoot?

I don't know.

Well, do you know him? You ever see him before?

No, never.

He sure hold on to these saddlebags tight enough.

Money!

Did you ever see so much money?

We better get the sheriff, get him back to Shiloh.

Put that stuff up before it blows away.

Oh, wouldn't that feel cozy just sittin' in your pockets?

Give me a hand. We'll, uh, load him in the wagon.

Whoa!

What... Whoa.

Look what he was carryin'.

Ever see so much money? Must be $20,000, $30,000.

Jim, ride into Medicine Bow and fetch the sheriff. All right.

You reckon this money's stolen?

I never knew an honest man to carry that much.

Cecil, put the wagon in the barn.

Dan, you take care of that horse.

- Did you count the money, Harve? - No, didn't have time.

- Reckon we should? - We'll do that in the bunkhouse.

Sorry, Harve. I didn't mean to take charge like that. It is your find.

- Yeah. 'Tis. - Did you get your bees?

- Forgot. - Well, you can get 'em tomorrow.

Yeah, if they're still there.

I'd have probably got me 40, 50 pounds of honey this season off them.

Now all I got's a bag of money, and ain't none of it mine.

$58,590.

Until we counted it, there wasn't nobody knowed how much it was.

Nobody, 'cept a corpse.

And you should have seen all that money.

Tens, 20s, hundreds!

Here you are.

That's $500.

And there's 800. Or it's a thousand.

Shows you the kind of luck's been ridin' my back.

Find a bag of money, and I can't do nothin' about it...

'cause all of Shiloh's lookin' over my shoulder.

Never was yours. So why not forget about it?

"Forget it."

Do you know what just a little bit of that money would do for us?

Hmm? It'd buy us some fencin' to keep them range cattle out of what we plant.

Buy us some time so we could maybe lay in some irrigation...

and make something out of this dried-up pile of rocks.

I tried to get you to do those things when we first came here.

Well, had too many other things on my mind.

We could do some of it now, even without that money.

Now, don't be at me, boy! This is not my fault!

Things been happenin'.

I ain't had nothin' but bad luck ever since...

Clay Grainger stuck me with this place.

Oh, he didn't stick you with it, Pa.

You couldn't afford it till the Virginian talked him down on his price.

Well, Clay Grainger could afford to let it go cheap.

He owns half this territory.

Sits up there in that big house of his and he tells people, "Do this. Do that."

And all the time he's seein' me down here

sweatin' to scratch a livin' out of this place.

And never liftin' even one finger to help me!

Pa, eat your supper. It's getting cold.

I ain't got no stomach for it.

Howdy, Harve. Howdy.

Seems like I spend half my life hauling this dang water from that there spring.

When you gonna get around to diggin' a well?

Oh, I got too many other things to do first.

Ain't nothin' but work around here for all the good it does me.

What brings you? Well, I've been to Medicine Bow.

That was stolen money, all right. The sheriff heard from Cheyenne.

Seems three men stuck up a bank there a couple days back. Three?

Mm-hmm. They found two of them shot to death just outside of town the next day.

From the looks of things, the third man was wounded and got away with all the loot.

They, uh, figured that they couldn't agree

on how to split up the money and shot it out.

Oh, and they think that there fella I found was the third man?

Yep. With a reward on his head... dead or alive.

A reward, huh?

Well, I... I reckon I deserve it.

How much, uh, share of the reward you think I'll get?

You get the whole thing.

Ain't Jim Horn claimin' none?

He said what you just did... You were the one who found it.

- He did, huh? - Mm-hmm.

Well, uh, I know a fella once got a hundred dollars for turnin' in a horse thief.

Reckon it might be as much as that?

Well, depends on how badly that fella was wanted.

Well, that fella stole $50,000, and I got it back for 'em... every cent.

They oughta give me more than a hundred dollars for that.

Two or three hundred dollars maybe. Huh? Don't you think?

Don't get your hopes up too high, Harve.

When the time comes, I'll ride into

Medicine Bow and help you carry it all home.

I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.

Whew!

I asked you here, Jim, because you were with Mr. Yost when the money was found.

You could claim a share of the reward...

Unless, as is my understanding, you wish to sign this quit claim.

Yeah, I'll sign it.

There you are.

- And if you'll just witness it? - All right.

Just sign underneath.

Fine. Now to the business at hand.

How much?

Well, let's see.

There is, from the Laramie Express Company, the sum of $100.

One hundred?

Why, that was more than $58,000 I give 'em back.

The Laramie Express Company is only one contributor to the reward.

There's more?

Yes. From other companies that suffered losses to the outlaws.

The Rawling Corn Exchange,

the bank at Chugwater,

the Wyoming Cattlemen's Association. How much is it?

Let's see. The Green River Grange.

The Union Pacific Railroad.

And the Bank of Cheyenne is adding a percentage of the money recovered.

How much? Pa!

A total of $10,859,

which I am empowered to present to you...

in the form of this check.

My congratulations, Mr. Yost.

Ten thousand dollars?

Mr. Yost, the check.

What are you gonna do with all that money, Harve?

What am I gonna do? I'm gonna spend it!

♪♪

♪♪

Pa, Shiloh's here.

Oh, good. Good.

Howdy, Trampas. Hello, Harve.

How do you like it? This is what I call a party.

Yeah, wait till you see the eats. They're over there. You oughta go try some.

Howdy, Harve. Hi. Good to see you.

Elizabeth. You're as pretty as a kitten with a bow.

Thank you. Where's Ellen?

- Oh, she's upstairs a-primpin'. - Upstairs?

Yeah, we took us some rooms here in the hotel. We live in town now.

Who's lookin' after the farm?

Nobody. And if I never see that dust hole again, it'll be fine with me.

You're livin' pretty high off the hog, aren't you, Harve?

Yeah, just as high as I can reach.

You oughta go in there and take a look. You just gotta see it to believe it.

Gol' darn, go in there, Jim. Take a look.

Would it be all right if I went up to see Ellen?

Why, sure.

And you tell her to hurry up, or the party will be over before she gets down here.

- She's in room 27. - Thank you.

♪♪

Now, you ask her to dance when she comes down, you hear?

♪♪ I was going to do that anyway, Pa.

Looks real festive, Harve. Some spread, ain't it?

That's champagne punch with real champagne.

Picked all this here food out myself.

Told 'em I wanted it good, I wanted it fancy and I wanted plenty of it.

Now, you boys just go ahead and help yourself to anything.

Anything left of that reward money? Plenty.

Plenty of use for it too.

Why don't you folks just step right in here. We'll get out of your way there.

Must have spent a nice piece of change here, Harve.

I sure did.

You didn't need to spend all this. Folks would have had just as much fun.

Ain't never had to spend before. Gotta make up for lost time.

If you'd... put this much money into that farm of yours,

you'd have something to show for it.

That weed patch ain't worth two buttons and a bent pin.

Been a waste of money tryin' to fix it up.

All right.

Got something on your mind, say it.

Well, it's just that you could be doin' better things with your money...

- than buyin' champagne punch. - Like what?

Invest it. If you don't want to put it into your farm, then a business.

John Nelson started his bank with less than $5,000.

♪♪ Oh, I ain't cut out to be no banker.

A rancher then. It's a good life.

♪♪ Well, you sayin' I should set me up a Shiloh somewhere?

Well, not a Shiloh. Something smaller.

- I been small. - I'm not sayin' stay small. You'll grow.

Think it over. I will.

♪♪

Now there. You think that still looks awful?

It's better than it was, but...

You look very pretty. Really.

I hate this dress. I wish I'd never bought it.

There's nothing wrong with your dress either.

Oh, I feel like I'm getting a terrible headache.

Are you afraid to go downstairs? No.

But I've never been to a party like this

before, and I'd hate to make a fool of myself.

But you won't. Believe me.

All those people looking at me and knowing about Pa's reward money,

thinking it's wrong of him to spend it this way.

Is that what you think?

I don't know what I think.

It all happened so fast... leaving the farm and coming here.

Well, that's nothing for you to worry about tonight.

All you have to do is go downstairs and have a wonderful time.

Oh, Elizabeth, is Jess...

You know, Jess Pulver downstairs?

Jess Pulver from the dry goods store? Mm-hmm.

No, I didn't see him, but maybe he'll come by later.

Ellen, stop fretting. Everything's gonna be all right, and you look just fine.

You're among friends tonight. Shall we go downstairs, both of us?

Come on. I'm just dying to dance with that brother of yours.

What if nobody wants to dance with me?

Oh, Ellen.

♪♪ Yee-haw!

Whoo!

♪♪

Well, you know, dancin' beats wrestlin' cows any day.

Mighty fine party, Harve.

Yeah. I-If I was to buy a ranch...

close enough to yours, you reckon you could come over now and then to help me out?

Trampas, do you suppose...

if Harve were to buy a small spread, you could help get him started?

Small spread? Well, sure, if you could give me the time off.

- All the time you need. - All right.

I'll shake your hand on that, Trampas.

And I ain't askin' as no favor. I'm gonna give you the pay of a foreman.

Foreman? Yeah.

You should have said that in the first place.

I think I'll have a drink on that. Foreman. Hmm.

May I have this dance, Miss Grainger?

Of course, Mr. Yost.

Excuse me.

May I?

Thank you. My pleasure.

It seemed as if everyone was staring at me.

They were. You're very pretty.

Thank you again.

They look good dancin' together, don't they? Mighty good-lookin' couple.

Well, I sure didn't know the ramrod could dance like that.

He hardly ever dances around the bunkhouse.

I'll meet you here when I'm finished in the bank.

All right, but take your time.

I have several places to go.

Three yards? And thread to match, please.

Why didn't you come to our party, Jess?

I had something else to do. Something more important?

I kept wishing you were there.

I was gonna come.

But seein' all those buggies in front of the hotel,

all the folks goin' in...

Your pa's a farmer.

He ought to be runnin' his farm instead of showing off his money.

A farmer ought to farm.

If I had the chance...

Will that be all for you today?

No, I'd like a packet of needles too, please.

Ellen...

What, Jess?

Nothin'. I'll get the needles for you.

Miss Elizabeth.

Hello. Hi, Elizabeth.

What lovely fabric.

Yes, but it's not what I came in for.

Anything wrong?

You know, having $10,000 doesn't make a person rich, does it?

Well, it doesn't make him poor either.

I haven't changed, have I?

Well, not that I can see. Who said you had?

Will that be all, Ellen?

Yes, thank you, Mr. Pulver. Would you put it on our bill, please?

Bye, Elizabeth. Good-bye.

She forgot her dress goods.

I've been planning to talk to Yost.

From what I heard about that party the other night,

it cost a pretty penny. Yeah, and then some.

He keeps drawing it out as if the well was never going to run dry.

I tried to give him some advice about that at the party.

You'd think he'd listen to a friend.

How long have you known Harve Yost?

Oh, four or five years.

Got caught in a blizzard one time.

Stumbled around half the night before I happened on the Yost place.

I guess I was more dead than alive when Harve took me in.

I got to know him in the couple of weeks we were snowed in.

Where was this... That farm of his?

No. He was, uh, trying to homestead a piece of land up in Nebraska.

That was before he came here. Couldn't make a go of it.

And when he showed up here a couple of years ago,

I happened to know that Mr. Grainger was tryin' to sell a piece of land.

I worked it out for Harve to buy it.

And he didn't make much of a go of that either.

No, he didn't.

Well, he's got a real chance to make something for himself...

If he's just wise enough to take some good advice.

Mr. Nelson... Oh, Mr. Yost.

Sorry, didn't mean to bust in. Oh, that's all right, Harve. I was just leavin'.

Say, before you go back to Shiloh, I want you to see the new surrey...

and matched pair of geldings I'm buyin'... soon as I get some of my money out of here.

How much will you need?

Ah, let's see. I'll need, uh...

Harve, have you given any more thought to what we were talkin' about the other night?

Hmm? What's that? Oh, the ranch. Yeah, sure.

I'm gonna buy one right away. You are?

Yeah, soon as I arrange for the mortgage.

That's how you go about gettin' more money, ain't it?

Uh, well, yes, but first you find the right property.

Oh, I'll take care of that, all right. Hey, don't forget.

When I buy the place, your top hand is gonna give me a hand runnin' it.

- We shook on that. - Yeah, that's right.

Have you got some sort of a little place in mind, Harve?

I got someplace in mind.

I'll tell you about it as soon as I close the deal.

Now, Mr. Nelson, I'd like some of my money if it wouldn't be too much trouble.

Well, it's your money, Mr. Yost.

Mm-hmm. Don't I know it.

Whoa.

Well, there it is, boy. What do you think of it?

Dorcas ranch? Yeah.

Kinda big, Pa. It's not too big if a man works it right.

What about the hands and the stock and all the rest of it?

One thing at a time.

That, they tell me, is how you get ahead in this world.

Hmm. Well, let's go talk to Mr. Dorcas before

we make up our mind one way or the other.

Hyah!

My east line runs right down here, right along this ridge.

Now, that's Shiloh range over here.

Well, what's that there in the middle?

Well, that piece of land we share.

How do you mean, "share"? Who owns it?

Well, we both do, in a manner of speakin'.

There's no clear title to it. We just got a handshake deal on it.

Well, who's usin' it now?

Nobody.

Got overgrazed during the drought, and we're letting it...

lie fallow for a couple of years.

Any deal you and me make, we'd, uh, have to make that a part of it.

Hmm. Whatever you say.

This place could sure use some sprucin' up.

Yeah, I'd be the first one to agree with that.

Things just got too big for me to handle the last few years.

Afraid I let it run down a mite.

I didn't notice much in the way of cattle on your range, Mr. Dorcas.

Oh, I had a bigger herd, but, like I say, the years creep up on you.

Well, a man could have a bigger herd if he's a mind to, couldn't he?

Say as big as Shiloh's, maybe?

Not ever. No, sir.

Take a heap of work just to get this place back like it was.

Well, now, work's something I ain't afraid of. I've been at that all my life.

You know much about ranchin', Mr. Yost?

Well, not a lot. Hardly anything.

Well, I got the promise of some expert help. Whit here, he's a good learner.

Well, even so, you'd have to pump a lot of money into it just to get it goin'.

Well, now, that's something I don't have to worry about at all.

Be a good deal for a man with experience.

Tryin' to talk me out of it?

No, I want a sale, and you're a buyer.

I just want you to be sure that you could run a place like this, Mr. Yost.

What do you think?

Why not?

Why the plucked chicken not?

By golly, Whit, boy, with a fine piece of land like this,

a man could make a fortune, sure as shootin'.

Who says there ain't no pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?

Yes, sir.

Cece, hold still. You're squirmin' around like a calf at brandin' time.

Look out you don't notch his ear.

Cecil, if you don't hold still, I'm gonna take it all off the top.

Well, as long as you're gonna peel him, why don't you use this.

Trampas.

Tell me the truth. Haven't you seen worse-lookin' haircuts than this?

The foreman here? He's in his room. Uh...

Howdy. Howdy.

Well, he's done it.

Old Harve's up and done it. Done what?

Hmm? Oh, he did just what you advised him to do. He bought himself a ranch.

When was this? Today.

I was in Medicine Bow when he was signin' the papers at the bank. Yep.

Old Harve's a rancher now, just like you wanted.

Well, I'm glad to hear it. That's good news. Mm-hmm.

Oh, that's wonderful news. Yeah.

Your old friend Harve's got a nice little ranch.

Small place. Easy to take care of.

No trouble at all. Not a bit.

Well, what place did he buy?

Huh? Oh, I forgot to tell you. The Dorcas ranch.

Only the second largest ranch in this whole dang valley!

The Dorcas ranch?

Harve can't handle a place that size.

Well, sure, he can. He's got help, remember?

Me! I agreed to help get his ranch started. I must have been drunk.

Trampas, I don't know what to say.

Well, I'll tell you what you say. You say good-bye to your top hand.

Because I'm a foreman now.

I'm a foreman of the second-largest ranch in these here parts.

So long, pardner.

Trampas, come in. Hello, Ellen.

Have you seen this house? Isn't it beautiful? It's like a dream come true.

Yeah. I was here before when Dorcas owned it. You were?

Then you saw the kitchen. I've never seen a stove like that in all my life.

It's magnificent. Welcome to the "H" Bar "Y."

Hello, Whit. How do you like it?

Oh, it's just fine. Just fine.

It's great havin' you here, Trampas. We got a whole lot to do.

Well, I figured there would be. Howdy, Trampas.

Ready to go to work? Yeah.

Pot up some coffee, Ellen. Fetch a cup to Mr. Reardon.

He's in the dining room there looking at the walls.

Got me a builder. I'm gonna make some improvements here.

It's not the house that needs improvin'.

For the rest of that I'm gonna leave up to you.

Comes to cattle ranchin', you're the expert.

Come on. Sit down over here,

and you just tell me where you wanna get started.

Well, I thought I'd mosey around with Whit here and see what there is to be done.

There'll be enough to keep you busy, all right.

I, uh, got some hands comin' in tomorrow.

You hired already?

Sure. Picked 'em out myself.

You know Whitey Edwards? He signed on. Billy Castle. Joe Pierce.

- Yeah. Yeah, I know 'em. - Good men, ain't they?

Yeah, well, they're good enough.

But, Harve, before you start hirin' any more,

there are some characters I'd like to stay clear of.

You know, you're movin' pretty fast.

I sure am. Uh,

I'm dickerin' for a herd already.

Wait a minute, Harve. Uh, what am I here for?

You're gettin' me started right.

Looks more like I'm catchin' up to you. Have you closed that deal yet?

No, not yet, but it's good stock.

It's the Garrick-Peabody herd. The outfit was selling out.

Have you looked 'em over?

No. Took Mr. Nelson's word for it.

But he's puttin' up the mortgage. He wouldn't steer me wrong.

Well, do you know how big a herd you can graze here?

Yeah, I sure do. Mr. Dorcas told us when he sold us this place.

Yeah, but, Harve, grass changes year after year.

Last year, the creek dried up.

Some grazing land got burned off. A lot of things happened.

You'd better let me size this place up before you close that deal.

Sure, sure.

I was gonna do that anyway. All right.

Whit, I want you to show Trampas his quarters.

When you get set, come on in and have a cup of coffee.

We'll have a talk. I'll be through with Reardon by then.

And I want you to make Trampas feel at home. He's one of the family now.

Come on. I'll show you where to stow your gear. All right.

Quite a rig. Yeah, ain't it?

Must have set your pa back a few nickels.

Trampas, I think Pa's gonna make it this time.

He's always been beaten out before, but, well, this time...

He's startin' out right on this ranch.

Bringin' you in to help run it? I think he's got a good chance.

Well, I hope so, Whit. Hope your pa knows what he's doin'.

It's a good spread. Everybody says so.

Banker Nelson wouldn't have put up the mortgage

money if he didn't think it was a good idea.

Well, that's the thing about mortgages. Nelson

stands to make money no matter what happens.

Whether your pa makes or loses... that's something else. That's up to your pa.

Yeah. Sure glad you're here to steer him straight.

I'll do my best. Now, where's a new member of the family bunk down?

I'll show you.

Well, what do you think, Mr. Reardon?

Well, you can add on without too much trouble. Good.

Here, I'll show you.

Uh, this is just a rough sketch of what it's gonna look like.

Mm-hmm. We'll break through this wall.

So that's that wall. And then we'll extend the parlor there.

That'll give us more room.

Can I have a... another room... right there?

You know that-that study that Clay Grainger's got?

I'd like to have one just like it with a big stone fireplace and everything.

Yes, I can do it for you.

I'll have to redraw these plans.

The estimate will be higher, of course.

Just how much higher, I can't say right offhand.

Mmm. When can you start buildin'?

Soon as the lumber's here. It may take a few weeks.

- You'll have to approve the plans first. - You go ahead and order.

All right. I'll need your signature here.

Thanks, Mr. Yost. I'll get on it right away. You can count on me.

Good day, Mr. Yost.

Come on! Hyah!

Hyah! Hyah! Come on!

Hey, Whit, I think your horse is smarter than you are.

Back off, and he'll come right down here.

Here, I'll show you.

Stay right there.

Now then, see? He'll come right down to you.

Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!

You got to learn to let your horse do some of your work for you. Come on.

- Now, keep 'em together. - Move 'em along.

Whoa.

Howdy.

Well, pretty near finished. Got some good beef here.

'Tis.

All that beef. Getting fat and making money.

Yeah, looks good. Your pa's done all right so far.

He had good help.

Excuse me. Yeah.

Come on.

Everything's goin' fine, Pa. Good.

Now, tomorrow I want you to stay close to the house.

Got a couple loads of lumber comin' in, and I ain't gonna be around myself.

Couple of loads? What are you doin'?

Fixin' up the house like I said. How much fixin' up?

Pa, do you know how much money you've been spendin' since we came here?

There are bills you haven't paid yet. I'll pay 'em.

With what?

Now, don't be at me, boy! I done all right so far, ain't I?

But you're not gonna have anything left.

We're good for it.

Beef out there will buy us everything we need.

You know, a man don't like havin' his own family doubtin' him.

Your ma used to do that all the time. Never could cure her of it.

It's what kept me down so long.

Made me feel like I was nothin'.

Don't you worry, boy. We're doin' all right.

Trampas told me so hisself. We got good beef out there.

Be nice to have twice as many.

We can't handle any more.

I'm thinkin' of next year. Who's ridin' the east line?

Joe Pierce.

You know... is he keepin' my cows off that piece we share with Shiloh?

Well, you told him, didn't you?

- You want me to check? - No. I'll talk to him tonight.

Now, don't you worry so much, boy. It'll make an old man of you.

Just let me handle it. All right?

Bah!

You get the fence fixed yet? What?

Did you get the fence fixed yet? Couple of more hours' work.

Why'd you quit in the middle? Wire cutters broke.

Gotta be in here somewhere.

Ah, here they are. Now I'll get the job done.

Fine. Maybe.

What do you mean, "maybe"?

Mr. Yost, me and the boys is wonderin'... We ain't seen our pay yet.

You'll get it.

- When? - When this job's finished.

We'd kinda like to see it before.

Don't push me. You'll get it!

Good day.

I haven't seen you for a while, Ellen.

Oh, I've been busy with the new house.

You could have come by and paid me a visit if you'd wanted.

I didn't know if it would be all right.

Why wouldn't it be?

Well,

there's a church social Sunday.

Would you go with me, Ellen?

I'd love to. I've been hopin' you'd ask me.

Maybe we could go for a walk after.

I'd like that too.

Oh, Pa's waiting for me in front of the bank.

I have a list of some things I need for my new curtains.

Maybe you better talk to Mr. Naughton about it.

He'll be back in a minute. Why?

He told me...

there's some things he wanted to go over with you.

Do you know what they are? No.

Yes, you do, Jess. Why won't you tell me?

It's, uh, somethin' about the bill.

Didn't my pa pay it?

Well, no, he didn't. Not yet.

I'm sure it just slipped his mind.

I'll remind him of it, all right?

Sure.

Let me have the order. I'll take care of it for you, Ellen.

Thank you.

What do you mean, I can't sign for it?

It don't make sense. I signed for the herd.

I signed for everything else I need. Why can't I sign now?

I'm afraid it isn't that easy. This is just a bit too speculative for me.

I think you're rushing things.

But you shouldn't have any trouble finding the money somewhere else.

Well, "somewhere else" where? This is the only bank in town.

There are other towns.

In other words, you don't want my business.

Now, I didn't say that. You don't have to say it.

I ain't been a farmer all these years...

without bein' able to tell which way the wind's blowin'.

You bankers don't like to see a man climb up out of the dirt, do you?

You're like all the rest of 'em, Nelson.

You're tryin' to keep ol' Harve Yost in his place at the bottom of the pile.

But I'll climb to the top, 'cause I know how to get there.

Like it or not, you showed me how.

Oh, now, Mr. Yost...

You know what I'd like to do someday?

I'd like to buy this here bank and turn you out to pasture.

Another herd?

I've already made the deal for the cows.

The bank in Laramie is expecting you.

All you gotta do is just go down there,

and when the loan comes through, why, you close the deal.

But we can't handle another herd.

Trampas says we're grazing as much as the range will hold now.

Dorcas grazed twice that many here.

You gotta remember, Son...

The more beef you fatten, the more money you make.

But Trampas told me... I'm doin' exactly what Nelson told me to do.

I'm borrowin' the money from a bank in Laramie to buy the herd.

There can't be anything wrong in that.

You better talk to Trampas first.

Trampas doesn't pay my bills!

Things are runnin' smooth. We stand a chance...

to make a lot of money if we get that new herd.

Pa,

you're not in any trouble?

Hmm? Trouble? Boy... I'm ridin' high!

I'm ridin' high, and I wanna keep it that way,

and I know you do too, so there's no sense in us arguin'.

Now, that herd is waitin' for you. Why don't you go down there and drive it home?

After that, we're in clover.

You sure, Pa?

As sure as I'm standin' in the parlor of my own house.

I just wish your mother could have lived to see this here place.

And share in our glory.

Aside from that, there ain't one thing wrong in this whole world...

as long as we get that herd.

It's a long ride to Laramie.

I better get started. Go on.

Hyah.

Well, if you two fellas are lookin' for work,

I could sure use a couple of good hands.

Well, we're already doin' your work... bringin' home some of your strays.

They were grazin' on that piece of shared land.

Shouldn't have oughta been in there.

I told 'em to keep the herd out of that

section, give the grass a chance to grow back.

Doesn't anybody ride line in this outfit?

Well, sure.

You're the foreman. Check into it.

I will as soon as I get back. I just found out about it now, all right?

Fine. Just keep 'em out of there.

- See ya. - Yeah, so long.

That's it, Mr. Yost.

All of it good, seasoned lumber.

I'll have my men over here on Monday to start work on the additions to the house.

That's good. Just, uh, give me a pencil, and I'll sign for it.

Well, I guess you forgot. Uh, our arrangement was...

that you'd pay for the materials as they arrived.

Oh, I guess I did forget. I don't have this much cash on me.

I didn't think the lumber would get here today,

or I'd have had enough on hand to cover it.

Tell you what. Let me sign for it now.

I'll get the money to you next week.

I'll be goin' into town, oh, sometime Wednesday, Thursday,

and I'll stop by the bank.

I'm out of pocket for that, Mr. Yost.

Well, now, that lumber ain't gonna walk away on you.

My ranch, neither.

Well, all right.

There.

I'll see you next week then. All right.

Pierce? Yeah?

Did you ride the east line? Yep.

Didn't I tell you to keep our beef out of that section we share with Shiloh?

You told me.

I just came from there. Jim Horn and the foreman found some of our cows on it,

and I found three sections of our fence down on our side.

Now, you got an explanation? I was just doin' what I was told.

By who? The old man... Mr. Yost.

Sure, I told him. But half that land is mine.

And I got use for it.

But, Harve, you made a deal not to use that land... not for another two years.

Well, ain't seen no papers on that.

All right, it was a handshake, but you made it. You gotta stick to it.

Nobody's stoppin' me from usin' what's mine.

- But why do you need it? - 'Cause Whit's trailin' in a new herd.

It'll be here in another couple of days.

How big a herd?

Oh, about the size of the one I'm runnin' now.

Harve, have you gone loco?

Well, you don't have enough grass to handle another herd.

That's why I'm movin' on that piece.

You better call that deal off. You can't do it.

Tomorrow I want you to take a gang of men,

and I want you to take 'em out there and tear down the rest of that fence.

And when Whit gets here with that herd, I want you to move 'em into that land.

Well, you clear that with Shiloh first.

I ain't askin' Shiloh, "Please, can I use what's mine?"

- Well, half is Shiloh's. - I'm orderin' you, Trampas!

- You'll get your men out there! - You clear that with the Virginian!

The herd isn't here yet, and that'll give him chance to agree.

Are you gonna do what I tell you?

I'm not gonna move that herd on that land, no.

Do you work for Shiloh, or do you work for me?

I'm here on loan.

Well, now, the Virginian said you were to give me all the help I needed.

Well, I'm not gonna do that. And I quit.

Then get out! I don't need you, and I don't need Shiloh!

I can handle this myself.

Hey, Harper, ain't those beans ready yet?

Could use a pinch more chili peppers.

That oughta just about do it.

Trampas. What are you doin' here?

I'll bet you he missed my beans.

You ever notice some fellas, they get to be foreman,

they don't hardly speak to you anymore. Ain't it a fact?

What's the matter? I just quit.

You quit? That's right, I quit. Yeah, I know.

You wanted me to go and help your old friend Harve, and that's just what I did.

Well, I quit.

- Something go wrong? - Oh, what could go wrong?

After all, I gave my word to get his little

ol' ranch started, and that's just what I did.

His little ol' ranch turned out to be one of the biggest spreads around Medicine Bow.

But when Harve needs help, why, naturally, all his friends pitch in and help.

All right. What is it?

We don't have to help Harve anymore. He's gonna help himself.

Of course, what he's gonna help himself to is a piece of Shiloh range land.

Shiloh land? I mean that piece of land we're supposed to be sharin' with him.

That section we're not supposed to use for another two years,

but ol' Harve's gonna use it as soon as he brings in his new herd.

New herd? What are you talkin' about? I forgot to tell you.

Harve's expanding. Did you try to talk him out of it?

Sure, I tried to talk him out of it. You ever talk to somebody who won't listen?

And he never did listen to me.

Well, I'll talk to him myself.

All right. Well, you better talk loud.

I think Harve's gettin' hard of hearing.

Oh. Thanks for the drink.

Hey, Trampas, now that you're makin' foreman's pay,

what are you gonna do with all that money?

That's another thing. That son of a gun never paid me!

I ain't here to beg for crumbs.

You just ask anybody. Harve Yost don't beg.

All I want's one of them short-term loans.

Oh? And what's your collateral?

My herd. Mr. Yost,

this bank already holds paper on your ranch and your stock.

My new herd. I sent Whit to Laramie for it.

Then you were successful in securing a loan elsewhere?

Course I was. Ain't nobody in Laramie tryin' to keep their foot on my neck.

They see it as purely business, and I don't see why you can't see it the same way.

I need the cash.

You've exhausted your account.

I know that. And I can't lend you money against a herd...

for which you borrowed to buy.

I don't do business that way, Mr. Yost,

and I can't imagine any other banker who would.

You sayin' no to me?

I have no choice. I'm sorry.

You're sorry? You and that Virginian...

and the whole world, waitin' to see me fall on my face.

Well, it ain't gonna happen.

I'll pull out of this without you. Without nobody!

I'm so glad you came. Maybe he'll talk to you.

I haven't been able to get a word out of him since Trampas left.

And you don't know why he's doing this?

No. He tells me there's nothing for me to worry about.

Most of the time, he acts like he believes that too.

But he gets so angry when I ask him any questions.

That must be him now.

Pa, the Virginian's here.

I'll fix dinner. You'll stay, won't you?

Harve.

Want me to guess what's on your mind?

I wish I knew what was on yours.

I got my ranch to think about.

I guess it slipped your mind that Dorcas...

had an agreement with Shiloh not to use that common land.

But I didn't make that agreement. I didn't have nothin' to do with it.

Yes, but you agreed to honor it.

Well, I've changed my mind. I need to use that piece of land. I got my rights.

Legal rights, maybe, if you want to take it to court.

Well, I ain't got time to waste on courts.

Well, maybe that's the trouble, Harve. You're in too much of a hurry.

Well, Whit's bringin' the herd. I gotta get the place ready.

I'm not talkin' about the herd. You were in a hurry to buy this place.

Couldn't wait for a sensible judgment on it.

You just rushed into it. You've been rushing ever since.

Why don't you slow down and listen for a minute?

I don't want advice... Not even from you.

All right. I thought we knew each other better than that.

The man you knew was a failure.

Now, I got this place, and I'm hangin' on to it.

And you or nobody else is gonna drive me back down into the dirt!

Is that really what you think I'm tryin' to do?

I've got a job, Harve.

My job is to protect what belongs to Shiloh.

- Well, that piece of land is part mine. - And part Shiloh's.

If you put a herd in there, it won't be of any use to anybody.

That's why I just can't let you do it.

- You gonna stop me? - I'll have to.

Don't try it, Harve.

Get out.

You try and stop me, you'll see what happens!

Pierce, come here a minute!

Yeah? How many of the hands got rifles?

I got one. Maybe six, seven others.

All right, tell 'em to load up and carry 'em with 'em tomorrow.

We'll wait for the herd out on that piece we cleared the fence off of.

Expectin' trouble?

Foreman's job's yours, you keep the men in line.

Double pay this month.

Well, that's real persuadin'.

You're not gonna fight Shiloh over this. It's up to them.

You're forcing it on them. Everything I got rides on that herd.

And if I can't pasture it, I can't market it.

And if I can't market it... well, I ain't gonna let that happen,

even if it takes men and guns.

I'm sorry.

I didn't know how desperate he was.

You know, he just kept everything bottled up inside himself.

Maybe I've been... too wrapped up in other things.

Please... Please don't let him get hurt.

We won't. Will we?

We won't let anybody get hurt if we can help it.

Does that mean you're not gonna try to stop him? No.

I have to represent Mr. Grainger here and do what I know he'd do.

He'd keep your pa from using that land.

Maybe you should send for the sheriff.

I'd rather handle it without him.

Maybe...

Maybe if you could just reason with Pa...

We've all tried. Didn't do any good.

It's up to him, Ellen.

I know.

I'll do what I can.

Are we just gonna wait here? No.

You men dismount and take cover along here...

till they show or the herd comes.

I'll stay out here where they can see me, but they better not see any of you others.

If they make any move against the herd, you shoot. Don't wait on me.

What if they come before the herd?

You wait for my signal. All right.

There he is... alone.

He's hidden his men.

We've got to risk it.

There's only three of 'em.

Yeah, his others is holdin' back.

Same as I'd do. You bluff first.

Maybe... Maybe they want to parley.

Hey, there's a rifle behind that mount on the left.

The sun just hit it. I see it. There'll be others.

Let 'em get to hailin' range.

I still see only three. What of it?

Hmm. Hardly seems right, all us guns and just them three.

You let me decide what's right.

The horses are hidden behind those clump of trees. I see 'em.

There's another rifle. We'll be in a cross fire.

Sure hope nobody has a nervous finger.

That's far enough.

Came to talk, not fight, Harve.

Neither will get you nowhere.

My men are all around... they got their rifles on you,

so just speak your piece and git.

There's no reason for that. Call them off.

I need them cows, and I need 'em here. That's reason enough.

Bringin' in a herd won't do you any good. The grass is too thin.

When it's all gone, what will you do then? I'm talkin' about now!

So am I.

A herd will strip this land of everything that grows.

There'll be nothing to hold the soil when the rains hit.

You can't treat land that way and expect anything of it.

You near wrecked your farm runnin' it like you did.

A dozen men like you would turn all of Wyoming into a desert.

Talk's easy. But first, you get out of my way.

You gonna shoot us, Harve? All three of us?

I'm gonna do what I have to do.

You fellas gonna back him on this?

They got to, if they wanna get paid.

Is that right, Pierce? Are you gonna kill to bring that herd in?

Show him, Pierce!

- Now, Harve... - They're in my way, Pierce. Clear 'em out.

Hold it! There's somebody comin', and in a hurry.

That's Whit! He's bringin' the herd!

You'd see the dust.

I can only see Whit.

Where's the herd?

There isn't any. What?

You haven't got any but what's on your land right now.

What do you mean? Why didn't you bring it?

I couldn't get the money. They wouldn't give it to me, Pa.

We had a deal.

It's off! I'm telling you... you're not worth a nickel, Pa!

You're dead broke. You have nothing...

No credit. No cash. No herd.

And what you're grazing now won't be there much longer.

I walked into that bank in Laramie and asked for the loan.

They all but laughed in my face.

Even all the way down there, they knew you weren't good for it.

I was sure that loan would go through. Then you're a fool!

How much did you think you could borrow?

How in the name of heaven were you gonna pay it back?

I'd have paid. With what?

You can't even pay the hands.

You're busted, and that's the end of it.

I came back here to tell you that to your face.

And I'm not stayin' around to help you scrape up what's left.

I'm done, Pa. I can't take any more.

I told you to get out of my way. Pierce!

Ain't my fight, Mr. Yost.

We'll take what you owe us in leather and horses and be on our way.

Boys!

You dug yourself into this hole, Harve.

If you blame anyone but yourself for it, you'll never climb out of it.

Well, hello, Harve.

Howdy.

Just in time for a cold dipper.

Thanks. That's good well water.

Yeah.

I see Whit's back.

It ain't Whit. Whit's workin' a ranch in Montana.

That's Jess Pulver. Wants to be my son-in-law.

Says he's tired of store-clerkin'. Wants to help me run this here farm.

Don't know which end's root and which end's fruit.

Can't plow. Can't milk. Can't even tend the chickens.

Wouldn't you know I'd get a son-in-law like that?

I'll make a farmer out of him come spring.

I'll teach him how to plant.

If he can dig at all, I may even lay in some irrigation.

Whit always wanted to do that.

The bees are swarmin' again. I thought you might like to know.

Wasn't the bees that brung you, was it?

No.

Been wonderin' what I'd say if you showed up.

That last time we met... That was a bad time.

Well, it's over.

Things were said and done.

It was something to go through... Losin' my ranch, my cattle,

my furnishings and the credit and the cash all at once.

Is there anything I can do to help you?

No. Will take them bees from you though, as a favor... to me.

That honey will fetch a good price.

I'm through with handouts though.

Even that $10,859 was like one big handout.

It's back to spit and grit for me, as the fella says.

You know, I done me some dang fool things in my time.

You'd think I'd learn a lesson from 'em, wouldn't you?

But I ain't sorry for none of 'em.

I figure a fella's entitled to one big spree in his lifetime.

And I'm gonna tell you, I had me one humdinger of a time...

while it lasted!