Original subtitles

You're a puzzle, tyler.

You wouldn't be the first killer I met that worries

About elderly ladies and helpless animals.

Still, it puzzles me.

Good evening, hey boy.

Please, not lobby.

Why not go in the lobby?

Look cautiously over my right shoulder.

So early in the evening?

I look for you all over.

I took the brunette out two nights ago,

And the blonde the night before that.

But I made no other engagements with either of them.

There are other things in life.

Poker, for instance.

Maybe ladies don't like play poker.

Have they talked to each other?

I'm afraid so, mr. Paladin.

Well, then I'm afraid

The time is right for me to disappear.

This telegram might give reason.

Oh?

Excuse me. "paladin, san francisco.

"regarding offer to find killer of local sheriff.

"you're welcome to try at your own risk.

"s.J. Lovitt, mayor of silver flat, nevada."

Hey boy, I leave the lobby in your capable hands.

Good night.

You satisfied now, nelson?

What do you mean by that?

The sheriff's dead, isn't he?

And you're trying to blame me?

In a way. You got burt tyler acquitted.

Who went right out and killed the sheriff?

Tyler!

You don't know that tyler did the killing.

I know it, you know it. Everybody knows it.

And you know my husband had a job to do.

Just a minute, jean.

What proof do you have?

Tyler said he'd get even for being arrested, didn't he?

Yes, someone started a lot of talk about that.

I don't know of anyone who actually heard him

Threaten sheriff daly. I thought they were friends.

So they were friends, were they?

Maybe you can tell me why the bullet we took

Out of daly's back was.36 caliber.

You know anyone else around here besides tyler

Using a gun that size?

Don't let him bully you, tom.

I'm not trying to bully anyone.

We had tyler cold for killing charlie bristol.

You got him off, and look what happened.

The jury decided it was self-defense.

Sure they did, 'cause you fancy talked them into it.

You haven't been around this town long.

Just long enough to turn a killer loose.

You and your courtroom tricks.

We're trying to make something decent of this country.

Lawyers like you come in and get in the way.

In whose way? Yours?

Never mind, jean.

Come on.

What do you want here?

I'm sure I don't want to talk to you.

I may have business with the man who tells you

What to fetch and when to carry.

You got a roundabout way of asking for trouble.

Don't start anything in this office, beau.

Well now... Who are you, sir?

My card's on your desk.

You got here fast.

It's part of the service, mr. Lovitt.

I'm mayor lovitt.

I must remember that.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded.

You've offered to bring tyler back.

I've got men who can do that, if they could find him.

I won't pay ya, unless you can find him.

That's the way I work. Killing him won't be enough,

I'll have to see the body for proof.

"dead or alive" is the usual procedure.

You're welcome to those alternatives,

But you'll never bring tyler back alive.

Do I get the impression you'd regret it if I did?

You'll either kill tyler, or he'll kill you.

You'll see if you find him. How much do you expect?

$2,000.

That's a lot of money for a bounty hunter.

I don't sell men. I sell a job of work,

And that's all you pay for.

All right, you've got a deal.

I'll pay you when you deliver.

From here on, you're a deputy sheriff.

Just like that?

Shouldn't I be sworn in by the proper authorities?

Consider yourself sworn in by a proper authority.

Here's a badge, in case you need it.

Anything I acquire that easily...

Can't have much value.

How will I know this tyler?

He's a fair sized man with red hair.

Carries a small gun, a.36 caliber star.

Logger nelson might know where he is.

I'll talk to his lawyer. There's something else.

Whenever you run into him, he'll be gambling.

Tyler likes to play cards. He's not good, but he's lucky.

I guess a man has to be lucky at something.

Oh, paladin...

If you find anything, let me know.

I'll send the boys out to help.

No, why don't you keep them here

In case anything fierce happens...

Like a dogfight.

Yes, sir? My name is paladin.

I've just come from mayor lovitt's office.

Oh... What do you want here?

I was hoping you could help me find burt tyler.

Lovitt's already asked me to do that.

I won't help anyone take that man's life.

I just want to find him, not kill him.

I have nothing to say to you.

I think you do. You defended tyler

On a charge of killing a man named bristol.

You got tyler off and apparently,

He went right out and killed the sheriff.

Part of that is hearsay.

Then, let's straighten it out. I'll bring him back for trial.

Look, mr. Paladin. Tyler is my client.

I can't do anything for you. Was your client.

You don't owe him anything now.

You have a sign outside that says 'attorney at law'.

Yet right now, you're obstructing justice.

Justice?

Around here 'justice', mr. Paladin,

Is what any man with a gun can make stick.

Now, I want you and lovitt

And everyone else around here to leave me alone.

Good day to you, mr. Paladin.

Nelson, you don't live in this world alone, none of us do.

We're all dependent on one another.

Tyler's got to be brought back.

If he's innocent, he should be cleared.

If he's a murderer, he's got to be stopped.

You know where he is. If you shield him now,

And he is a murderer...

Then every man he kills from here on in

Will sit on your shoulders and scream in your ears.

Now where is he?

His only chance is in court.

If he keeps running, sooner or later,

Someone will kill him.

Will you give me your word

You'll try and take him alive?

I can only promise to try.

Well, if you were going to lie to me,

I suppose you'd lie all the way and guarantee it.

Where is he?

He's in prado.

Across the line in utah territory.

Thank you.

Nelson...

Don't let your conscience keep you from sleeping.

I'll bring him back in one piece, if I can.

If he lets me.

Annie!

You're stayin' up too late.

You're sold out.

Go on home and get some sleep.

No use, boys.

Nothing can stop me tonight.

] you're very badly mistaken there, tyler.

You left something unfinished in silver flats.

I'm gettin' no place this way, mister uh...

Paladin.

You can try that gun, if you insist.

I advise against it.

Lovitt must want me real bad to pay your price.

Make any difference if I told you I didn't kill daly?

He was shot at clifton wells,

And I wasn't within 50 miles of the place.

I can prove it. You'll have your chance.

Now wait...

Wait, now.

Just hear me out.

I was with a girl.

She's gone to carson city but I can get her down here again.

Why do I have to go back?

Why can't I square things with you?

You don't have to prove anything to me.

There'll be a judge and 12 men,

Eager to hear your story.

Well, I might go with you if I can have the same lawyer.

You are going back with me.

Either sitting in a saddle or lying across it.

All right. I'll go.

I'd like to be sure my horse is cared for

While I'm in there.

I'll put him in the livery, if you like.

I'd be obliged.

Just like comin' home.

No lawman been appointed yet?

Not legally.

You got any idea why lovitt wants me back here?

There's evidence to indicate you murdered a sheriff.

It's not that.

I got squeezed in a feud between lovitt and the sheriff.

They hated each other.

Politically and every other way.

Lovitt wants to move on up.

Wants to run this state.

Daly had something on him.

Something to do with fraud in his election.

You don't care. Do you, paladin?

To you, I'm just a card playin' saddle tramp.

Doesn't make any difference to me what you are.

I'd just as soon believe you as anyone else.

Look, paladin... I was lyin' in this jail

The night after I shot it out with charlie bristol.

Lovitt come in here and braced the sheriff about this thing.

Told him he'd never get a chance to do anything about it.

He said that in front of you?

I was lyin' underneath the blanket.

He didn't even notice me. Least not till he finished.

Listen, paladin. You gotta believe me.

At least give me a chance to prove it.

You're a puzzle.

You wouldn't be the first killer I met

Who worried about elderly ladies and helpless animals.

But still you're a puzzle.

I ain't no killer.

I'll see that nelson defends you.

So you did get him.

What are you doing that for?

He's locked in a cell, isn't he?

I decided he'd be better off without any visitors.

Lovitt has plenty of keys.

Don't use 'em.

I don't take anything from you, mister.

The way to prove that is by going into this jail.

I'll prove it, when lovitt tells me to.

Tyler came back with me.

Here's his gun.

He wants you to defend him again.

You tell him to find someone else.

I'm not getting involved in a criminal case again.

I told him you'd take the case. I want no part of it!

I got him free once, now he's involved in another killing.

Why should that concern you?

The law guarantees every man, innocent or guilty,

The right to counsel. You're an attorney at law. Just do your job.

I don't like that kind of work.

From now on, I'm handling nothing but civil law.

Tyler says he didn't kill the sheriff.

I'm not interested.

Will you take the case for $500?

Certainly not. This has nothing do with money.

It's a matter of principle.

Oh.

Well nelson, why did you study law at all,

If you don't have he stomach for it?

You'd like it if only nice people were arrested.

If trials were dainty, sweet-smelling and polite.

But you're asked to defend thieves and cutthroats.

Find yourself in court in the middle of a war,

No holds barred.

At stake a man's freedom or his life.

It's too bad it's so dirty.

You really should give up the profession entirely.

As a matter of principle.

But not until after this trial.

This'll be cash. It's the way I do business.

You sell land all over this state?

Why? This map.

I use that map for other things.

Politics, for instance?

Here's your money. Count it if you want to.

I'll be back if it isn't right.

Tyler will get a trial, won't he?

Of course. First thing tomorrow morning.

Circuit judge'll be there?

I'm empowered to sit on the bench in an emergency.

In the absence of a sheriff, and with the temper

Of this town, this is an emergency.

Tyler says he was with a girl when the sheriff was killed.

That girl's in carson city,

And tyler will need time to get her down here.

He'll say anything to delay a hanging.

Anyway, what do you care?

You're working for me, not tyler.

We just concluded our agreement.

All right. Then, forget it.

No, I think I'll take a room in the hotel,

And wait until the trial.

Gentlemen.

Trial tomorrow.

Lovitt will sit as judge. Tomorrow?

That's a little soon, isn't it?

Tyler says there's a girl in carson city that can clear him.

But lovitt'll never give him time to get her down here.

Lovitt's a fair man. He'll change his...

Suppose he doesn't? Well, then...

That's still not my concern.

Lovitt and the sheriff were enemies, weren't they?

Are you suggesting that... That he had daly murdered?

Did you ever take a good look at that map in his office?

It shows every town in this state,

And the number of registered voters in each one.

He wants it all, you know.

This is ridiculous!

Paladin's stirring up trouble.

Sometime tonight stop it.

I don't know how you got in here...

Nelson, you've got to do something.

I will buy you or beat you or torment you,

But you will act! I can't!

Because I don't know what's right anymore.

The only consideration you can have,

Is to see that tyler gets a fair trial.

How would you do that if you were his lawyer?

Well, I'd get a change of venue.

He ought to be tried in another court.

You'd have to get a writ to get him out of lovitt's hands.

Habeus corpus. In english that's...

"deliver the body."

Where would you get the writ?

Well, judge lehman is riding circuit.

I'd have to find out where he is just now...

Look, paladin...

The bullet they took out of daly's back.

It came from tyler's gun.

You'd convict him on that?

How difficult would it have been for anyone else

To get hold of a.36 caliber star?

I've gotta think about it.

Don't think too long. Lovitt's rid of the sheriff.

He'd like to make people forget it

With a fast conviction of tyler.

Give him that and he'll hang tyler so fast,

All you'll be able to do is cut him down.

Hold it!

Get up.

I wouldn't tell lovitt about the cigar.

Only a fool smokes a cigar when he's going to jump someone.

Now get out of here.

Hold it. What's this?

Nobody allowed inside. Mayor's orders.

I have a writ here for tyler's release.

I don't know nothing about that.

Can I?

Get out of the way. You're no lawman.

Neither are you.

I was beginning to give up on you, paladin.

Had my hands full securing a lawyer for you.

Burt, I was wrong.

I was trying to judge a man myself.

You're helping a man break jail, paladin.

I brought an order for his release.

There's to be a change of venue in this case.

I haven't seen any release order.

Neither have my men. We've got it.

Since there's no legally elected lawman in this town,

I'll take responsibility for releasing the prisoner.

Where's that order?

Burn it.

That's not gonna do you any good.

Paladin and I are gonna tell judge lehman we delivered it.

The mayor doesn't intend for us to tell anybody anything.

That's the way it'll be, won't it?

You'll destroy the writ of habeus corpus,

And nelson and I... Will be shot.

Helping a prisoner to escape.

So will the prisoner.

Well...

In that case...

You destroy the writ.

Yourself.

Counselor...

It's all yours.

Tyler... Goodbye.

Thanks.