Original subtitles

Met a couple of bar "z" riders. They say there's a lynching

over at the Roden place, a rustler.

What about eating?

I got them beans fixed real nice.

Dan.

Drop that leather.

Who are you?

My name's Merrick.

I'm a United States Marshal here.

You're new in the territory.

The law isn't.

We got no law.

This man's a killer.

He killed my son.

Then he'll hang by government rope.

Hang him now!

What difference does it make to you?

We deliver him to Santa Loma.

The court takes over.

Go on!

Shoot him, Billy.

I'll get you first.

Shoot him.

Len, it doesn't make sense.

Your life for a killer's?

Afterwards take him to Santa Loma.

Go ahead, shoot.

You and Lou take the prisoner.

I'll join up with you.

I'm sorry, Roden. I had to do it.

We've rope enough for him, his deputies, and the killer.

Come to your senses. He's a Federal Marshal.

Let's get after him!

Let your father settle this, Dan.

You're risking everything for personal revenge.

I lost a son.

I don't want to lose my ranch.

Who goes with me?

What will happen in Washington

when they learn we stretched rope

over a federal marshal and his deputies?

Who cares what happens to a rustler?!

It'll be just another incident forgotten!

Another incident is all it takes,

and this may be the one.

The rustler hangs.

Well, I'm waiting.

Give it up, man.

We know how you feel.

Let us go with you, Bury young Ed.

Get out of here!

All of you!

Where you going?

I'm going to bury Ed.

He'll be buried where he belongs

at the ranch.

I'll help you bring him in.

I'll bring him in alone.

Why can't I help? He was my brother.

He was my son.

So am I.

I'll meet you at the ranch.

Call all the hands in.

They're not following. We can take it easier now.

You said you was new around here,

didn't you, Marshall?

What about it?

You don't know the Rodens father or son.

They ain't never gonna give up...

Not till i'm swinging in the wind.

They won't fight the law.

I suppose I'd be wasting my time

telling you I never killed young Roden.

You're wasting my time, too.

Jury decides whether you're innocent or guilty,

and not me.

Well anyways,

thanks for what you done back there.

No tricks.

Billy, you and the prisoner go ahead.

Horses are getting mighty thirsty, Len,

and it's a-fixin' to get dark.

Don't you reckon we better find us a spot to bed down?

If you fellas would like to spend the night off the ground,

my place ain't more than two hours' ride.

It's right on the way.

I got nothing against a floor under me.

All right, mister, we'll take you up on that.

Never thought i'd be singing my way to my own trial.

Mister, they're trying you for the wrong crime.

Hold it.

That's where they say I killed young Roden.

Where'd you say this hacienda of yours was?

Due west. There's two pointed rocks along the trail,

and we're just beyond.

Go ahead, Billy.

I'll catch up with you at his place.

All right, pop, let's go.

You saved his killer. What more do you want?

I'm sorry about your son, Roden.

He was worth any 5 men on the range.

He was what I always wanted, golden in a son.

A gun seemed made for his fingers.

There wasn't a horse he couldn't ride

nor a man whose heart he couldn't win.

And now he's dead...

His heart smashed by a rustler's bullet.

Here, let me help.

Keep your hands off of him!

You want to help? String up his killer now.

You don't know he killed.

All you know is he stole some cattle.

You think I'd take a man's life

for stealing a few head of cattle?

He killed my son...

And he dies for it.

Hey, Roden!

Roden!

Stop firing! We ain't cattlemen!

Kicking won't get you anywhere unless you're a mule,

and I'm glad to see you're not.

Let me go, you...

- Turn her loose. - Easy, pop.

- A friend of yours? - She's my daughter.

The old coot cold-framed us.

Hey, what happened?

Well, we come in riding nice and easy-like

and him singing at the top of his lungs.

Then all of a sudden, he starts giving out with owl hoots.

We thought he'd gone loco

that is, until she snuck up behind us

and told us to drag out of here.

We started arguing, and she started shooting.

That any way to treat guests?

No cattlemen is guests of ours.

No use, Ann.

I tried to discourage these boys.

No harm in trying, but they're the law.

The law?

What do you want?

Your father's under arrest.

For what?

Rustling.

Rustling? You call it rustling, what...

That's what I call it.

Now that we're all friends, maybe...

well, thanks.

Maybe the boys would like to have supper.

Ann's a real fine cook.

If she's as good at cooking as she is at ambushing,

what have we got to lose?

Only our lives.

Fixing the old man's will for him.

Makes quite a document.

There you are, honey. That's as clean as I can get it.

That's what I call real home cooking.

You cook the supper.

Hey, I'm hungry.

Set the table. I ain't serving you.

Uh...put this down:

Whereas I hereby bequeath

my homestead to my daughter.

You don't need the "whereas" and the "hereby."

I'll leave that up to you, but

just be sure there's enough "whereas" in there

to make any law wrangler sit up and take notice, huh?

Now, this here bowie knife I give to...

You give it to me...

For the time being.

All right, put it down.

I give it to Marshal Merrick again my better feelings.

Furthermore, let it be known

to all interested parties

that I want my daughter Ann to go to Lancaster,

whereas to stay with my sister Ida Bessie.

You don't have to put that in your will.

It's my will. Put it in.

I'm leaving my daughter, ain't I?

I got to leave her to someone.

I'll give you something to put in that will,

something to put on his tombstone.

Here lies my beloved father,

murdered by Marshal Merrick.

By the way, what's your first name?

So's we can write it all down.

Hey, where you going?

Get some liniment. Do you mind?

Those spurs of yours ain't made of goose feathers.

Where are you going?

Wouldn't be fitting to let you go by yourself.

You mean it ain't fitting to trust me.

That's a bad cut. You might need help.

She knows the way, Marshal. You don't need to bother.

Why don't you come back and rest yourself, and I'll play you my guitar?

You play the guitar for them,

and no more owl hoots out of you.

Careful sort of fella, ain't he?

No sporting blood.

Not during working hours.

And that's from sunup to sunup.

I think I'll go water the horse.

No. I done watered the horse.

I got a lot more stuff to finish this document.

Here's a pair of boots.

Got them mail order from Amarillo 12 year ago.

Hardly wore at all. See?

Shame to let a new pair of boots...

what size do you wear?

Any size those are. Thanks.

Well, now, let's see.

Dog my hide.

I done forgot about this.

I've been saving it for Ann's wedding.

Put this down, I...

hereby leave this to...

You better cross that out.

Dark in here.

- You scared? - Not yet.

I'll reach it.

Sit down.

For horses', mules', and varmint bites.

That ought to do it.

Pull up your pants.

Sure did brand you.

It will be all right.

I wouldn't have rousted you around that way

if i'd known you was a girl.

I ain't blaming you.

Sorry, but

this would be a lot easier if you wore dresses.

Dresses slow you down.

Depends on where you're going.

That ought to do it.

Marshal...

I'm sorry about what I said in there,

about you murdering my pa.

I didn't pay it no mind.

Let him go.

They'll catch up with him, sure.

He'll be lynched.

He won't be lynched.

I promise you that.

You don't know these cattlemen.

They burned our crop 3 year in a row.

Because they don't want homesteaders on the range.

Fourth year, they burned down our house.

You think they'll stop at lynching

now they caught him rustling?

Give him a chance, mister, please.

For your sake?

If you like.

You didn't need to cut yourself like that.

Cut myself?

I wear a single rowel.

You scratched yourself with a Mexican spur.

I'll do it.

You sure got a one-track mind.

Or did you figure on using this as a crutch?

I figured to wrap it round your neck.

Marshal, I wouldn't want it known I came.

Talk.

Roden's decided you're not to get to Santa Loma.

He's lining up his ranch hands to stop you.

You were one of the hanging party. What changed you?

I didn't know a marshal was in the district.

I don't want any part of the trouble that

would come from a lynching witnessed by a federal man,

if you're not lynched, too.

All right, swear on your men as a posse

'till you get us to Santa Loma.

I have to live here.

No cattleman would fight Roden to protect a killer.

No court's found him guilty yet.

What proof do you want? Ed's dead, ain't he?

And we found the old man with the cattle he was after.

If he's a killer, his trial will take care of it.

If Roden don't take care of it first.

When he buried his boy, know what he put on the marker?

"Here a father's heart is buried."

A man with no heart makes a bad enemy.

Thanks.

No law against cleaning up afore eating, is there?

Sit down, Len.

We ain't eating. Get saddled up, boys.

I thought we was staying the night.

Roden's men are after him.

We move fast, we'll lose them.

We can't move that fast.

We'll head through the desert to Santa Loma.

The desert? This is August, man.

No self-respecting rattler would try to cross the desert in this heat.

You'll never make Santa Loma thataway.

We got no choice!

The other way, Roden will be waiting.

I don't aim to have us all killed.

Well, let Roden have the old man.

He ain't meant nothing but trouble to us.

Sure, give him up, jughead. Save your own hides.

We're leaving now across the desert. Sure, give him up, jughead. Save your own hides.

We're leaving now across the desert.

Look, I know it's tougher,

but they won't figure on us taking the long way around,

and even if they do, we'll have a night's ride ahead of them.

Pack up, Billy.

Come on, pop. Supper's over.

Git your hat.

Here's two of them.

Cinch up those water bags

and don't load on too much grub.

Water's more important than food on this picnic.

Marshal, i'm sorry to cause such a to-do,

and I want to thank you for comin

I ain't doing this on your account mister, It's the law.

If you'd killed 10 men, I'd still take you in.

Then you think I did kill him?

I don't think about it, one way or the other.

You ain't going no place.

I'm going with him.

You stay here. You meet us in Santa Loma, huh?

Pop, I ain't leaving you.

Ah, this new generation.

You think you can take it, saddle up.

You're on your own.

That's a hard man, Billy.

He's a fair one.

That's as it may be.

I don't think we're going to have no more singing from here on.

Nope, I guess not.

I don't know, maybe singing's the way to go.

Don't sing that.

That's enough.

What's eating at you, son?

Never call me son.

I didn't call you son like you was one of my kinfolk.

Forget it.

What's eating at him, Billy?

My singing can't be that bad.

I sung with you before. He never said nothing.

I wouldn't sing that one, pop.

Why not?

His old man used to sing it.

Merrick...

Listen to me.

Alone, my pa might get away,

but they'd be able to trail a whole body of horses.

Give him a chance. Let him go.

My job's to bring him to trial.

He'll hang.

Then he'll hang.

If your pa's alive,

I hope his corpse swings in the wind.

Well, I'll be doggone.

What is it, pop?

I got him.

He'll be glad to turn me loose

when I'm done with him.

That song you hate...

your father used to sing it, huh?

I'm sorry, Len.

I remind you of your father, don't I, son?

And you're taking me to be hung.

Why don't you call me pop and make the joke complete?

We've got a long, dry stretch ahead of us

with a hot wind coming up.

Billy, check the water bags.

And, Lou, fill up the canteens.

Yeah. I want to fix up this grub first.

We'll eat in the saddle.

What?

We'll eat in the saddle.

Man, we rode all night.

You got to rest up here during the day.

In a couple hours, that desert floor

will be bouncing heat off it like

like eggs off a red-hot skillet.

Fill it.

Swallowed too quick.

Did your pa use chawing tobacco, too, son?

Lay off, pop.

No sense just taunting him.

I got a dagger in him, and now I'm twisting it.

Something's got to give.

If I could get my hands on his gun...

Gun?

This song's better than any gun.

All filled up, Len.

All right, let's get moving.

Come on!

I like it here.

Get mounted.

You know, Billy, they call this dead man's creek.

How come?

A U.S. Marshal fell off his horse

and drowned himself right here.

Don't that old coot ever dry up?

He keeps running on like one of them gramophone machines.

It's bad enough that we got to sweat out all this heat

without listening to that old coot a-croaking.

It's my doing.

I shouldn't maybe have told him about...

About what?

I'm on this picnic, too, you know!

Nothing.

Don't stop now!

I'm just beginning to enjoy it, son!

We'll rest here.

Break out the grub, Lou.

What's the matter-- is he hungry now?

Cut it Lou, Len drives itself just as hard.

Well, pin a medal on him.

Merrick, I've got a deal to offer you.

What would it be worth to you not to hear that song no more?

You know, it will be getting dark soon,

and you wouldn't be held accountable.

I could take my chances on the desert

and head for the border.

You wouldn't be hearing that song no more.

There will be no deal. Now, get back there.

All right, all right.

But I've been meaning to ask you, son,

about your father.

You know, you never did say, son...

But...

did you hang him, too?

Let go! Let go! Leave him alone!

Let him go!

Pop, what happened?

That man's a tough trader.

In fact, he don't trade!

What's the matter with you? You gone loco?

Help Lou with the grub.

Len, no sense driving yourself this way.

What tune you singing now?

I don't know.

Maybe--maybe we shouldn't take him into Santa loma.

What are you driving at?

What I mean is,

he's a harmless old coot.

Well, you know what I mean.

He--he don't look like a killer.

That ain't your business...

Or mine.

Our job is to take him in.

Get mounted!

Merrick!

We're taking the rustler alone,

or you'll die with him!

I'm warning you for the last time, Roden!

Don't come any closer!

All right, take cover.

Keep shooting.

I got their water bag.

I want the rustler.

Let's try and get above them.

Keep down!

Hey, Roden!

Look at Dan!

He'll get the rustler, all right.

Another trigger finger won't do no harm.

I can shoot, too, mister.

You shoot back there and sit down. Go on!

Drop it...Fast!

Get up and keep your hands high.

Get over there.

Call them off. Call them off!

Hold them, father! Hold them!

Hold them!

Hold your fire!

Let my son go!

It's your turn to go, Roden!

We'll leave!

You can have the rustler...

But let my son go!

He stays with us to Santa Loma!

That will guarantee no more trouble from you!

Let him go, I said!

Get gone before I kill him anyway!

I've lost one son.

I can't lose another.

Tie him up.

What happened?

I turned my back on him.

I'm a dumb deputy.

Well, I guess I'll have to take your badge away

as soon as we get to Santa Loma.

You'll have to turn back now.

You can't cross the desert with him.

Shut up.

Don't listen to him, Len. I'm all right.

Got no water, only what's in them canteens.

There's a water hole, halfway across the desert.

Is that on the level?

Sure. I get thirsty, too.

How do we know he ain't lying? Let's turn back.

No.

Roden will trap us in those rocks, for sure,

and I don't aim to lose him.

In that desert, we can see what's ahead of us.

Let's keep going.

What are you waiting for?

Sorry, Billy.

Sure you can make it?

Let's go.

Lou, put him on Billy's horse.

You're going to be all right, boy.

Sure.

I've been shot before.

You want to rest?

Lean back, Billy.

You can stop looking for your father.

He sets more store by your life

than to tie into us again.

Len, I'm burning.

I'm burning inside.

I'm thirsty.

You might just as well pour that water into sand.

The way that kid's slowing us up,

we got another full day's travel to the water hole.

Sure am sorry I spilled about your dad, Len.

Forget it, Billy.

You sure saved my skin plenty of times.

I wouldn't want you sore at me.

Forget it, Billy.

Everything's going to be all right.

S-Sing that song.

I'd sure like that--that song.

S-Sing that song.

I'll follow you, Len.

I'll always follow you.

Lou!

He's dead.

If you'd listened to him...

if you'd let my pop go, he wouldn't be dead now!

You and your law. How many more will you kill?

We're moving in an hour.

Pray for him,

and when we get to Santa Loma, pray for yourself.

- I didn't shoot him. - You, your father,

the others, you're all guilty.

You'll all pay.

This is your doing.

If you hadn't killed my brother,

none of this would have happened.

What's he talking about?

He's a killer.

We should have hung him when we had him.

Pop, is that what they're taking you in for?

That's what they say, honey.

Ain't you even going to say a prayer?

He knew a deputy took chances.

Don't you feel nothing?

Don't it matter to you that your best friend is dead?

He's not dead by my hand.

He followed the law.

The law...

The law makes you take my pa in and he'll hang.

Billy followed the law, and he's dead.

If you'd forget the law,

your friend might be alive and my pa wouldn't die.

I did that once.

Once, I didn't stand by the law,

and my father's dead because of it.

I let my own father hang.

I killed him.

I was his deputy, like Billy was mine.

He had two prisoners to deliver.

We knew there was danger of them being lynched,

and I thought they deserved what was coming to them...

So we quarreled, my father and I.

He took the prisoners alone.

The lynchers were waiting for him on their way.

They lynched him, too.

And that's why you're the way you are.

If I'd only gone with him,

like Billy went with me.

If I'd only followed the law

instead of trying to decide for myself

what justice was,

my father might still be alive today.

You might be dead, too.

They might have lynched you.

Better if they had.

Stop tormenting yourself

because you once made a mistake.

I stopped tormenting myself long ago...

And then your father started that song...

Just the way my father used to sing it.

Made me remember all over again.

Why didn't you want me to know

my pa was wanted for murder?

Who told?

It don't matter,

but I know why you couldn't say it

because you know I love him,

same as you loved yours.

We're from the same pod, you and me.

You blame yourself because you didn't save your pa.

You know I got to try to save mine.

I can't hold no grudge on you.

You risked Billy's life to keep the law,

but you risked your own, too.

I wish it wasn't my pa that's between us.

I've been thinking.

I'll bet.

I can make it worth your while.

A lot of money. Interested?

Everybody's got a hankering for an easy dollar.

How'd you like to be our ranch boss?

How's that for an idea?

If you let me go,

my father will make up for it.

I'll tell him what you done.

I don't think that's hardly enough.

All right. You say the word.

What's enough?

Well, I always kind of fancied myself as a rancher.

Go on.

A big one--

you know, eight, ten sections, maybe,

and all the cows that goes with them.

I'll get them for you. My father will do it.

As big a ranch as you want.

You sure are scared.

Boy, are you scared.

Scared, what do I got to be scared about?

Merrick, and that's enough.

That's why I don't cotton to your proposition.

I don't want him on my trail the rest of my life.

He won't do anything to you.

No, because I ain't taking no chances with him,

and you better not, neither.

Billy was killed. He don't like you for it.

He don't like you at all.

You and me, we're in the same boat.

We got to stick together.

Me and you?

I'm the fella that killed your brother, remember?

But you said you didn't do it.

And you believed me?

Yeah, sure I believed you.

That's why you tried to kill me?

Look, maybe I've made a mistake.

Can't a man be wrong once?

That mistake was enough to put a rope around my neck.

You better pull yourself together.

Looks like you had too much sun.

We got to do something.

We just can't sit around and wait to be

killed by that madman.

Allowing you have a point there...

What can we do about it?

They got guns.

What do we got?

We got the girl.

The what?

She can handle him.

They been out there for...

Go on, kill each other off.

Let them go. Let them finish it.

What happened now?

I don't know, they got into a fight, that's all.

It was your job to see they didn't.

Get up and get on your horse.

Pack up. I'll take care of them.

You ain't going to take care of nobody.

Where's your gun?

Here.

All right, jughead,

take off your gun and belt

and throw it over here.

I'm taking my pa with me.

You got to understand.

You did this while making me believe...

I meant every word I said,

but I ain't going to let him die.

You might as well take my belt, too.

Ann!

Now we're even.

Now we're even.

I'm telling you once and for all.

Lay a hand on her again, and I'll...

I'll kill you.

I wish he was dead.

That may be sooner than you think, honey.

My horse has pulled up lame.

Hey, mister!

About that water hole!

You on the level?

Sure, but we still got a piece to go.

None of these horses are going to last much longer.

Well, we ain't making it tonight.

Where did you get that?

Why?

Nothing...

Only my brother he had one like it.

I found it where he fell.

Well, it's mine. Everything was his is mine.

You give it to me.

You won't need it where you're going.

Lou.

Ride her horse.

You ride with your father.

I told you we'd have trouble.

Supposing this horse gives out

before we reach that water hole?

We'll walk.

Go ahead!

He's asleep...

But I'm not.

Get back there.

You better get some sleep, too.

I'll get plenty of sleep in Santa Loma

at the end of a rope.

There's no telling how a jury will vote.

You ain't hoping I'll get out of it, are you, marshal?

I don't like to see anybody hang.

Would it be on account of...

I remind you of your pop?

No...

It ain't that.

For her?

Anything wrong with that?

Not a thing,

excepting you ain't hankering to see me hang,

and I ain't, neither...

And that's why

if I get a chance to hit the trail between here and Santa Loma,

I'm on my way...

So don't turn your back on me, bub,

lessen you want to get poleaxed.

I ain't got nothing against you personal, mind,

and I do want to thank you here and now for

trying not to let her know what I'm charged with,

but that ain't going to affect the situation none.

Just so long as you're conscious, I'm a goner,

so I aim to make you unconscious,

and don't think that sentiment's

going to sway my judgment.

Fair enough, mister.

And don't expect none of me, neither.

Since you'd rather talk than sleep,

let's keep moving.

Lou.

Lou!

Saddle up.

Pop.

Here is no water hole, are you headin' for the border?

Yes, there is a water hole, honey.

We should have been there by now,

unless I got us all lost.

What about it, Len?

You had to kill one horse already.

You gonna have to kill them all before this day is out

If we don't reach water soon.

Won't only be horses.

Keep them moving.

All right. Let's step it up.

Roden and his men!

Take cover over there!

Come on!

Where are they?

Right there.

Have you gone crazy?

There's nothing but rocks.

Look at him. Your brave Marshal,

all primed to defend hisself against a clump of rocks.

Be quite a feather in your cap, Marshal, capturing a mirage.

Single-handed, too!

You can save your breath.

That's not a mirage.

Come on.

Cover up and keep your heads down.

Lou, take his handcuffs off.

Didn't bother them buzzards none.

There ain't no water hole. It's a trick!

He killed my brother, and he'll kill us, too.

He's planning to make for the border once you're crawling on your belly.

Before I start crawling, you'll all be crawling.

Look!

What did I tell you? Water!

Nobody drink!

The water has gone bad.

My father done it. Poisoned that well.

He wants to kill me, and that's why he done it,

and now you want to kill me, too, do you?

Sun's got him.

That water will kill us all.

Without water, neither us nor the horses

going to get to Santa Loma.

What do you aim to do now, Len?

Half a day's ride would bring us to the Guadalupe river.

He's right. Straight south.

What are we waiting for? Come on!

Hold it!

The Guadalupe's on the border.

We're still heading for Santa Loma.

That's what you say, but

but you've had your way long enough.

You led us into this, and I'm a-leadin' us out.

We're heading south.

You took an oath. You'll do as I tell you.

Billy took an oath, too, and what'd it get him?

Come on!

I'm giving the orders.

We're heading east.

Get on your horse.

All of you!

Get on your horses.

Mister, take his handcuffs and put them on him.

You know, Marshal, yesterday, there was 3 against you.

Today there's 4.

How long since you slept, Merrick?

You got none yesterday. None the day before.

40 hours without sleep.

Maybe more.

That gun you're holding ain't going to stay awake

once them eyes is closed, neither.

You all have to sleep, too.

We did sleep, last night,

and we'll sleep again, too.

After we reach Santa Loma.

We ain't stopping the rest of the way.

We'll sleep before, in the saddle.

Yeah, one at a time, while we're waiting

for you to close your eyes, just for a second.

Sweet dreams, Marshal.

and when you wake up if you do wake up... Sweet dreams, Marshal.

and when you wake up if you do wake up...

you ain't a-gonna find us holding your hand.

So we'll just say good-bye now, polite-like.

Wait a minute.

You ride with me.

That way, you can say good-bye easier.

Lead off.

He can't last much longer.

I figured him to cave in long before this.

You won't go back on your deal?

Let him close his eyes once, and you'll find out.

You won't regret it once he's out of the way.

I won't regret it,

but if you don't live up to your end of the deal,

you will.

I know you're tired.

I'd like to stop,

but we've got to keep moving.

Ann...

I'm sorry this all had to happen,

but I don't blame you.

You fought for your father the only way you could.

Getting human?

Forgetting you're the law?

We got no cause to fight now.

Not now...When any minute, we'll be buzzard bait.

We'll make it.

Len, are you all right?

Len, wake up! Wake up!

We've got him.

This is what we've been waiting for.

We're free, Ann. Free!

You can't leave him here to die.

Go on. Finish him off.

No, pop! You can't.

Talk to her. She's your daughter.

This is the chance we've been waiting for.

Len, wake up. Wake up!

Len. Now it's Len.

No wonder you're sticking up for him.

Can't you understand I'm trying to save your father?

I'll see you both across the border safe.

Ain't no one going to bother me.

I'll be the boss of the Roden ranch.

I'll be the boss of this whole territory,

now that my brother's gone.

Your brother?

You sure ain't much in mourning.

Pop!

Now then, drill him.

Drill him! Then we leave.

No.

No!

What are you waiting for?

You got the gun.

Use it while you got the chance.

Here. You take it.

I'm no good at keeping the law.

You killed him.

Why didn't you finish the job?

How stupid you are.

Lou got your rifle.

Pop killed him to save your life.

You're wasting your time, Ann.

He's just a mean and narrow man.

You had your chance.

and let it pass.

Yeah.

Sometimes a fellow confuses himself.

I had my neck out of the noose,

and I stuck it right back in again.

All right, Marshal. Speak your piece.

You've got the gun, and you're the law.

What's your next move?

We Bury Lou.

Start digging.

We got no shovels.

Use your hands.

And after that...

looks like we'll use our feet.

MCongratulations, marshal. You've got what you wanted.

There's Santa Loma.

Hey, honey, get over here.

Follow me.

We've been expecting you for three days, Marshal.

We got delayed.

All right, sheriff. They're yours.

- Marshal Merrick? - Yes, sir.

I'm Judge Morrow.

Where are your deputies?

Dead.

He answers for one of them, with his son.

And the other?

Her father killed him to protect me.

Roden, you can share your son's cell.

Mr. Roden has asked bail for his son.

That coyote?

He'd be in Mexico by morning.

And for myself?

All right. You won't run.

Not while Keith's still alive.

Bail is $5,000.

Court will be in session in three hours.

Your Honor...

You're not going to start the trial this evening, are you?

I have no choice.

I'll try Keith tonight, the Rodens tomorrow.

I'm due to hold court Tuesday in Pueblo.

Justice...

That's what you promised, ain't it?

I told you what he'd get. Cattlemen's justice!

A trial in the dead of night

so as you can hang him quicker.

Are you satisfied now?

Young woman, I can understand

your anxiety for your father,

but justice does not vary with the time of day.

Your father can receive as fair a trial in darkness

as in daylight.

The People of this Territory vs. Timothy Keith.

Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do.

That morning, Ed was about before dawn.

He was always the first one up and the first one out.

He was born to the range.

Well, about sunrise, he...

headed up toward the north section to head in the stragglers.

It was the last time I saw my son alive.

I saw my brother leave.

It was just done 6:00,

and I went on back to the ranch.

My father had asked me to order up supplies.

Dan had put his father in a bad temper.

He couldn't see why the boy didn't stir his stumps like his brother.

He took his beef out on the rest of us,

rousting us around to get going.

Hardly wanted to give us time for breakfast.

Soon as we had breakfast, he sent Sam Weaver and me

out after young Ed to lend him a hand.

We found his body just on 10:00

up in a grove of cottonwoods.

He was laying where he fell,

with a hole as big as a dollar blasted in his back.

The ground around was trampled where the cattle had gone through.

Jake Wilson and Bill Jerome had joined us by then,

and we followed the cattle trail.

High noon, we caught up with the killer

and the cattle, 12 head of them.

He didn't give us any fight. Couldn't.

He didn't even pull his gun when we run him down.

Guess he was too afraid to make a move,

but he sure looked guilty when we got him.

I stole the cattle right enough.

Ain't no sense pretending I didn't.

But I'm telling you straight,

I never killed young Ed.

He might have followed my trail, but he never crossed it.

The only trouble is, he ain't here to prove it.

The defense rests.

People rest.

Wait a minute.

Your honor?

I'm a law officer.

A man's charged with a crime, I bring him in.

Once he's in a cell, my job is done,

and it's up to a jury to decide whether he's innocent or guilty,

and I've never let myself care one way or the other.

This is different.

He had my gun and could have killed me.

Instead, he used it on the man who was trying to kill me.

But I ain't speaking for him because he saved my life.

That's not what matters.

What's important is that he had his chance to run away

and didn't take it.

A killer don't give up that chance.

He'd run from the noose no matter what.

I guess that's all,

but you got to know, he's innocent.

Your Honor, may I ask the Marshal a question?

Proceed.

Are you in love with the defendant's daughter?

- Yes, sir. - That's all, Your Honor.

I'll stand by the jury's verdict.

Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed upon a verdict?

Well, I'll tell you, judge,

We aim for a fair and honest verdict.

Now, no one saw the old man kill young Roden,

but young Roden's dead,

and there ain't a hint of evidence against nobody else.

And he did have the steers Ed was after,

so we've got no choice but to find the old man guilty.

The prisoner will rise.

You have heard the verdict.

The penalty is mandatory and prescribed by law.

It is therefore the sentence of the court

that you'll be hanged by the neck until you are dead.

No! No!

The sentence will be carried out at dawn tomorrow morning.

Ann.

Ann.

Ann, you can't stay here.

If it's against the law, arrest me.

You follow the law.

Yeah.

I followed it.

I told you we'd never get a fair trial.

He got a fair trial.

So you're satisfied.

You testified for him, so your conscience is clear,

but he didn't get a fair trial.

You didn't let him!

"It's none of my business whether he's innocent or guilty."

That's what you said.

But you didn't bother to find out.

You just brought pop in, and that ended it.

What do you think I've been walking the streets for all night?

Sure, now you care.

Now you know he's innocent, and it's too late to prove it.

They're out there digging his grave,

and it's you who put him in it.

Pop! Pop!

Go home, honey.

No. I'm staying with you, pop.

I ain't leaving you.

No!

Get out of my sight!

You killed your own father, and now you're going to kill mine.

Pop!

Pop.

Pop!

- What's this mean? - He's gone crazy.

I want him to see the hanging, too.

You got bail, so you got a ringside seat.

Only fair Dan see his brother's killer die.

What are you talking about?

About the son he loved and the son he didn't.

Dan knew it all the time.

So that's why you thought your father poisoned the water hole.

to get rid of you because you'd never be the man your brother was.

- Don't listen to him. - What are you driving at?

Just think Dan's entitled to what's coming to him.

Including this. Don't be afraid.

It's only a watch.

It says inside, "To My Son Dan

On His 21st Birthday."

Give it to him and let's get on with this.

Roden, I saved this for you.

I found this in the cottonwood grove where your son was shot.

Don't listen to him. I ain't been near that grove in a year.

I picked it up where your brother's body lay.

I lent it to Ed.

He lost his watch, so I give him mine.

You lie.

Ed's watch was in his pocket when I buried him.

- Stand back! - Drop that gun.

You can't shoot, Merrick.

I learned this trick from you, remember?

Put the gun down, Dan.

Talk sense. You want me hanged?

I want you to die with a bullet through your back,

the way you killed your brother.

It's your fault.

Everything for him and nothing for me.

I had to do it to get my fair share.

I worked for it, and I killed for it,

and you ain't going to take it away from me!

In the back, you coward.

You shot him in the...

Don't follow me.

You know, it's frightening what can happen to a man

with a law officer in the family.

I tell you, it's downright terrifying.

THE END