Naked Spur, The (1953)

[bunniefuu]

Don't move.

Turn around.

Keep your hands wide.

You want something from
me, Mister?

Sure came up quiet.
Got to give you credit.

My name's Tate.
Guess that don't mean much to you,

or anyone else, huh?

This here is Pokey.

You fixing to meet somebody?

Meet somebody? Who?

Wouldn't mind if I did.

Wouldn't care who he was or where
he comes from or what he does.

A man ought to always
mind his own business, I say.

Looks like you're the one
expecting company.

How long have you been here?

Been poking around these hills
three or four weeks now.

Got no calendar to know exact.

Got nothing
to show for it either.

If you're ready to talk some,

I'd appreciate your
putting that g*n down.

You might get bee stung
or something but I'd be just as dead.

Got some breakfast
coffee boiling.

You want some?
No.

Tobacco?

This party you're asking after...

Friend of yours?

He k*lled a marshal.

Kansas?
You've come a ways.

It ain't every peace officer
who'd do that.

I ain't seen Kansas
since before the w*r,

so I wouldn't know
you to look at.

My name's Tate, like I said.
Jesse Tate.

Howard Kemp.

You figure he's back
in these hills, Mr. Kemp?

I lost his trail this side
of the river.

Did you see any sign?
Hmm!...

Ran across a dead fire
the other day.

Where?
Back in there.

Got no map to tell you sure.

Now, you can tell me better
than that. Maybe.

If we was going the same way,
but we ain't.

You got your job, Mister,
and I got mine.

Helping you don't
put no money in my pocket.

I got $20 here. $20!

$20. It's yours
if you get me on a fresh trail.

$20... $10 now...

$10 now,
$10 when we find him.

Start out by showing
me that dead fire.

Does this fellow know you're
after him? He knows.

Then he might be waiting
behind some rock.

Waiting for us
to ride up in front of his g*n.

Huh, huh!... He might.

It was still warm yesterday.

Horses moved out this way.
More than one, for sure.

This fellow got company?

Could be packing an extra horse.

But there might be two of them
waiting for us, huh?

That's why you held
the g*n on me.

Come on, let's go. Come on.

Trail's as plain for you
as it is for me.

Another fire.

They ain't making much time.
Must be something wrong with them.

Looks like a horse fell there.
Yeah.

Well, it's no use guessing.
Huh...

Look out, rocks!
Ride!

Well,
I guess that's the end of it.

Yeah, if it was a natural slide.

Look out! Look out!

Well, you found him.

He's got to come down sometime.
Yeah, but when?

A day, a week.

And the chance is he sneaks
down some night and gets us.

We'll take turn on watch.

Having it out with this fellow
ain't my job, not for no $20.

You've got him, but he got you too.

Unless there's
another way up there.

You're crazy!
You can't get up there!

Go up the trail and get some cover and
take a sh*t at him every once in a while,

and make him think
we're stuck down here.

Ain't we?

Come on.

Hold it!

What's the trouble?
Get down.

I heard some sh**ting and came
to look. Who are you?

Oh, that's the way it is?

Lieutenant Roy Anderson, 6th Cavalry.
Indian fighter extraordinary.

You're a long way from
an army post, Lieutenant.

I quit playing
soldier last week.

Huh-huh.
Let's see your discharge.

I'm riding east, from Fort Ellis.
What's wrong with that?

Nothing, except the Bozeman
Trail runs east from Ellis.

How come you're this far off it?

Well, you see,
there's some bad-tempered Indians

along the Bozeman Trail.

And seems this chief's daughter
fell into some trouble,

with a handsome,
young army Lieutenant, and...

Well, you know how it is.
Huh!...

The army never did understand me.

Yeah.

Hey, how about these?
All right, give him back his g*n.

Come on.

Oh, you never did tell me what
the sh**ting was about.

I don't even know who
I'm talking to. Huh!...

This here is Mr. Kemp.
My name is Tate, Jesse Tate.

You don't say?

We've got an outlaw k*ller trapped
up there starting

rockslides every time
we show our heads.

An outlaw k*ller throwing rocks?

That sounds real desperate.
Come on.

Show him the picture,
Mr. Kemp.

Come on, show me.

You followed him
all the way from Kansas?

He did. I joined up
with him this morning.

Sort of helping out.
Like a deputy.

Looks like you got yourself a real
interesting problem in tactics, Sheriff.

Yeah. Come on up the trail.

Crazy, ain't it, Pokey,
what one man will do to catch another?

Now, if it was gold up there,
instead of this outlaw,

I'd put my carcass
to climbing that cliff

and never think twice.
Hey, come on.

I thought you said
you were going someplace?

Oh, don't mind me,
I won't get in the way.

I'll be right here behind you,
Sheriff,

in case the bad man sticks
his head out.

Wonder if I can make it.

Now, what do you want here?
Just offering my help.

Why?
Why are you turning it down?

If I burn my hands,
I'll let you try it again.

Now, stand by with your g*n.
I did as much for you.

Now, ain't that the way?

A man gets set for
trouble head-on,

and it sneaks up
behind him every time.

That's life.

Get up.

Open your g*n belt and let it fall.

No need to fuss there, soldier.

I've been out of cartridges
since Abilene.

You can see.

Now why don't you just do
what I say?

Hey, you two! It's all over!

Get him, Ben!

Ah!...

All right, Ben.

Tie him up!

Let me go, let me alone!
Let me alone!

Calm down, sweetheart,
we're not gonna hang you.

I ain't fighting you no more,
Howie.

Not the three of you, I ain't.

Who's she?

You remember old Frank Patch,
don't you, Howie?

This here is his daughter, Lina.

I remember an outlaw
the name of Patch

lying dead in front
of a bank in Abilene.

I don't remember
any talk about kinfolk.

He was my father.
What's she doing here with you?

I guess she don't
know nobody but me.

And I didn't figure on
seeing Kansas again.

Till now I didn't.
All right, get up.

Come on, get up!

Here you are, Tate.
That settles us.

I'm much obliged to you.
Thanks.

Say, Mr. Kemp,

now you've got two
of them to handle,

maybe you still have a mind
to hire up help.

This is my job, I'll do it.

Make you feel any better,
Sheriff,

you can make me deputy,
official-like.

You ain't letting on like you was
a sheriff or something, are you Howie?

Why sure he is. Ain't he?

He told me he was a peace officer.

I don't know why you should do that.

No matter who gets me,
the reward still holds. How's that?

Ain't you showed him
my picture, Howie?

I seen a paper saying he was wanted,
nothing about no reward.

Maybe he ain't got
a good copy like I have.

Is that what he showed you?
How much?

Says $5,000.

Why, you talk like you
knowed it all along.

Why else would a man
tear off the bottom of a poster?

I'm taking him back
and I'm gonna do it alone.

You didn't catch him alone.

You was goin' round and round
until you run into me.

You were hired to do a job
and you were paid for it.

You ain't gonna buy my claim
on this for no $20.

What about him?
He done the climbing, didn't he?

Could have gotten k*lled, too.

Tell you what,
I'll settle for a third.

How about you, Jesse?
Share and share alike?

That's the way it is.
Unless you're of a mind to k*ll us all.

Looks like you got yourself
a couple of partners, Howie.

Quit acting like we was friends!
You...

Maybe we sat down
at the same card game once or twice

but that don't mean dirt
to me now.

You sh*t a man in the back
and I'm taking you in to hang for it.

It wasn't Ben that k*lled
that man.

It's him they're paying
the reward on.

Now, where are your horses?
Back in the rocks.

Lina's horse has got a bellyful of disease.
He can't travel.

He can't, huh? All right, come on,
let's go. Come on.

Easy, boy, easy.

Easy there, boy.

All right, watch him.

Easy, boy, easy.

He's really sick, mister,
that's why we held up here.

Must have took bad
water some place.

I rode him two days like this

when he should have rested
and throwed it off.

Easy, boy. Easy.

What are you gonna do, Mister?

That horse is suffering,
he can't hardly breathe.

You've seen sicker horses than this,
ain't you, Mister?

He's pretty bad, girlie.

No sense in sh**ting
a good horse,

just to hang me a day sooner.

You keep out of this.

Besides, if we ain't
to the big river before the rains,

it's another week downstream
to find a crossing.

Nobody's gonna touch my horse.
Nobody is.

Nobody is gonna touch...
Come on, girlie,

you don't want to leave him
for some cat or bear to rip open.

No, I'm not gonna go, no...
Come on, honey, that won't do no good.

Let me.

There's no reward
for k*lling my horse!

Ben, don't let them k*ll my horse.
Don't let them k*ll my horse!

Ben, don't let them...
Listen to me! Listen to me!

That horse wouldn't have
lasted the night, anyway.

Forget about him.

Start worrying about me swingin
from a rope. You want that?

I need time.
You understand, Lina?

Time.
And you've gotta help me.

I've already scratched open
a sore spot over that reward.

The longer we ride,
the more things that can happen.

That's the fight.
Are you listening?

Listen to me.

I heard you, Ben.

I heard you.

All right, come on.

Move, you lop-eared cactus-eater!
Quit dragging your feet.

Pokey don't like it
no more than you do.

Honey, first thing I'm gonna get you
out of that reward money

is the biggest steak in Kansas,
for that cheek.

You're not gonna be mad at me
all the way, are you?

Come on, I'll make it up to you.

What're you doing tonight?

You're having quite a time,
aren't you?

Come on, loosen up.
Spring is here.

It's gonna be a long,
lonely ride to Abilene.

And being as Jesse's too old,
I'll toss you for her.

Right now, she's probably telling Ben
how to cut your throat.

You don't think
that pretty little thing would...

Hey, you two, break it up there!

Here, try it with this.

Come on, don't be stubborn.
Press it against your face.

Get away from me.
Like it better this way?

Let me go, let me alone!

If she bothers you so much, why don't
you tie her up and be done with her?

No bother. I like to wrestle with her.

You're a big man for b*ating up
women, ain't you?

And you're no better.
Lina.

That jackass started a misery in my back.
Can you do me?

Don't get them fired up
all the time.

Best thing on our side is
your pretty face.

They're men, honey, and you ain't.
Remember that.

I'm not gonna...
I ain't asking you to marry them.

The more they look at you,
the less they'll be seeing of me.

You sure got her trained, Ben.

Tell you, if I was
to have a daughter,

I wouldn't want her
no different than Lina here.

Except she shouldn't have
such sharp nails.

Maybe not so much temper.
Hold still!

Honey,
you remember those cigars

I got put away?
I could do with one now.

Get two. I don't smoke.

Any more at home like her?

She got no home,
that's the trouble.

Ma d*ed in Paso a couple of months ago
and she come up north hunting her pa.

He was dead and planted
when he got here.

So, of course, you felt obliged
to look out for her.

Son, her pa was my best friend.

Hey, Jesse!

Why don't you get a pan
and do it right?

What do you know about gold?
Just what I heard.

Come on, let's get riding.

What's the crazy hurry?
We can camp here.

That's right, Howie. A day more or less
won't change the price on me.

Of course, it might give
one of you boys time to think.

Plain arithmetic.

Money splits better two ways
instead of three.

Come on.

How can you breathe
that stinking rope?

Kills the taste of your
cooking, Jesse.

Nothing like a good woman
to stir a pot.

Nothing like a good woman.

I guess you've got the years to know
better than any of us, Jesse.

Did you ever marry one of them?

Never had to, with my
good looks.

No sense in asking Roy here
about women.

He'd keep us up all night.

Well, right now, I'm sort of in between.

Well, looks like we're
a herd of bachelors.

Even Kemp.

Never should have
marched off to w*r, Howie.

Should have stayed home
and married the girl.

Of course,
it's none of my business.

That's right,
it's none of your business.

Come on,
let's get this stuff cleaned up.

All right, girlie, grab a handful.
I'll do mine and Ben's.

You'll do what I tell you,
that's what you'll do.

Women.

I think I'll go along,
to protect her.

Sure works on me.

The way his eyes hang on her.

Fancy-talking Eastern boy.

Trouble is, talk's just the beginning
with wild kids like that. You watch.

When he's ready,
he'll reach out and take.

And who's to stop him?

Hanm!...

Did you think I was gonna jump you?

That's right. No.
No, I was

just uncramping.

You look almost sorry I didn't.

Yeah, k*lling me in self-defense
is a lot better than k*lling me for money.

Well, it's your choice, Ben.

A b*llet right here on the trail
or a rope in Abilene.

Choosing the way to die,
what's the difference?

Choosing the way to live,
that's the hard part.

That's what's eating you,
ain't it, Howie?

There's nothing eating me!
Somebody was bound to collect on you!

Maybe.

I calculated some horse-thieving

scum would want the price
on my hide,

but not you, Howie...
Now, why don't you shut up?

not a man of your leanings.

Not a ranching man.

I don't deny you got
a dirty deal, but...

Ah!... huh!...

The things a gal can do
to a man.

Shut up!

Hold it up here!

Might save a day
if we went over instead of around.

A day might make the difference.

Better take a look first
and find some kind of trail.

Wait, I got some glasses.

I knew you had your nuggets hid
somewhere under me.

I wouldn't be putting up with you
if I had nuggets to take back.

Let me get in there.

Funny you ain't had no luck
in this country.

A fellow I know
struck gold just north of here.

Half a mountain of it, almost.

What fellow was that?
A fellow I know.

Only thing, he had more trouble
getting it out of the ground,

than he had finding it,
that's what I hear.

He don't know much.

Got them from an officer fellow.

Swapped him even
for a Paiute tomahawk.

It weren't really Paiute,
I made it myself.

I had you figured
for a horse trader.

Jesse!
Keep your eye on 'em, Roy.

The Roy!...

Mind if I get off and stand a while?

Go ahead.

You can, too.

They gone up higher to look ahead?

Well, if a man could do that
with his own life.

Maybe if I'd seen what was ahead
when I was younger,

I wouldn't be in this fix.

Of course I would.

Some of the things...

Nope.

Nope, I wouldn't have
done nothing no different.

Except for you, honey.

I wouldn't have dragged
you with me.

You didn't drag me, Ben.

I wish there was some way
to protect you from Howie.

He's gonna start
on you pretty soon.

Kemp?

I've seen him with women.

He'll look and think,

and then he'll reach out and take.

And the way things are,
who's gonna stop him? Me.

You better.

I'm the jealous type.

It's not much of a trail.

I think we can make it
right through that pass.

At least the pay is good.

Give me those glasses.

What do you make of it?
Indians.

Two, four, six, seven, eight...

About 12 of them.
Are they wearing paint?

It's hard to tell.
Right up there.

Ah!...

Yeah, they're just Blackfeet.

Nothing to worry about.
Been no trouble with them for years.

A little far south for Blackfeet, aren't we?

Hunting party, I guess.
Huh, huh!...

Hunting what?

All right, mount up. We're going over.

Oh yeah, and don't get nervous if we see
a couple of indians coming up behind.

Indians? Don't worry.

Don't worry, now.
They're just Blackfeet.

Take it easy on the trail up
there.

Wait a minute.
What do you think you're doing?

You want to get us all scalped?

We got nothing they want.
Isn't that right, Jesse?

Yup.
Indians are indians.

We can cover this trail and finish them off
when they come through.

Why look for trouble?

What's the matter, Lieutenant?

All right, if you want to know,
they're after me.

They've been hunting me
ever since I left the fort.

Now that's something else again.

This chief's daughter
you was holding hands with,

was she willing?

Never mind the sermon.
We've got a fight on our hands.

This is your fight, not ours.

You expect me
to take them alone?

They don't just k*ll a man.

He's right. If them Indians are out
to revenge a squaw,

they'll make him holler first.

Do the same thing to us
if we're with him.

Maybe worse.

All right, you better start riding the skin
off that horse of yours

if you want to stay out ahead of them.

The reward cuts bigger two ways, huh?

You're losing time.

All right, now keep close together.
You ride next to Ben.

Come on.

Oh, happy home

Where art tho now?

Now just sit easy.

Get behind that stump.
Right.

Anybody got a match?

You could have got us all k*lled.
It worked, didn't it?

Did you think I was gonna let
those Indians ride me into the ground?

Let them peel my hide
over a slow-burning fire?

Oh oh, no.

Not me, partners.

Come on, mount up.

You can't sit a horse
with a slug in your leg, Howie.

You get on that burro.

Come on.

He's done a day's work.
Fix a fire.

Where are they?

Where are they?
Where'd they take her?

Where'd they take her?
Let go now.

Get your hands off.
Get your hands off me.

I've got to find her.
I got to.

I got to... I got to find her.

I've got to...
He been like this long?

Not as bad.

What are you trying to do, drown him?

Here, give me that handkerchief.
Ah!...

Mary... Mary, Mary...

Mary.

Don't worry.

The w*r won't last a year.
I'll be home before you know it.

No sense getting married,
and then having to say goodbye.

You understand that.

Sure, I understand.

Now, get some sleep.

You can manage, Mary.
The boys will take care of the stock.

When I get back, it'll be just
like we talked about last night.

You understand, Mary?

You remember what you said?

I remember.

I said, "I'll wait for you."

He got what was coming to him.

Half of Abilene knows about it.

I've heard of some big suckers
in my time but...

This ain't our affair.

You know what he done?

When he marched off
to preserve the Union,

he signed over his ranch to this gal,
so she could work it legal.

Guess what?

Come back to find out
she'd sold it.

Used the money to run off
with another fellow.

It's nothing to laugh at.

No? Well, laugh at this then.

What am I supposed to do?
Cry?

Feel sorry for him?

I got nothing against these fellows.
They just happened along.

But him...

I never hurt him nowise,
and he starts out to hunt me,

days, weeks, like an animal.

That's enough.

This ain't none of our business.

He wants his land back.

And I'll tell you something.

His end of the reward
ain't enough to buy it.

That's your business.

Ah!...
I think I'll make some coffee.

Then why did he make
a deal with us, to begin with?

Howie's a practical man.

He needed you fellas' help
to get through this rough country.

But the closer we get to Abilene,

the more you've got to worry.

Give me my choice,
and I'll take hand-panning

in running water, naturally.

Especially when you're working
alone like I do.

Of course when you get a strike
in high country, like here for instance,

your big problem is getting the water
to where you're digging.

Yeah, that's the trouble
my friend had.

Ground full of gold
and no water to work it. Hey!

Now maybe you'll shut up.

I've been meaning to ask,

you talk like you've seen
this fellow's mine with your own eyes.

I just heard.
Never hit it, huh, Jesse?

Nothing worth the mention.

Seems I've been looking
all my life.

All my life.

That's a long time
to look for something.

Maybe you've been looking
in the wrong places.

Fellow says. "There's gold in the valley,"
I go to the valley.

Fellow says. "Dig here," I dig.

Fellow says. "There's a rush,
on to the north," I go north.

In '49, I run to California.

Still remember,
spent good money for maps.

Even made my own maps.

I've seen fellows too
drunk to walk

fall on their face and find gold.

But never me.

Hey, Jesse!

Where's Roy?

He rode off before dawn.
Didn't say where.

That's enough shaving.
Give me that.

Drop it there.

Well, you slept yourself out.

Must be halfway to noon almost.

Why didn't somebody wake me?

What's everybody
lying around for? Up!...

That tells you, better than me.

You get him some breakfast.

You can change the wrapping,
girlie.

Why me?
Because I say so.

Don't fuss all the time!
Hold on, Jesse.

This girl's been up half the night
taking care of him.

She's wore out.
Never mind, Ben.

Hey, I'll do it.
Lay still...

No, you don't have to.
I'll do it.

You sat up with me?
Yeah.

Why?
Somebody had to.

You was raving,
so no one could sleep.

Why should you care?
I don't.

I'd have done it for a dog
if he was suffering.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

You said I was raving. What about?

Nothing that made sense.

You thought I was your girl.
You kept calling me Mary.

You were really out of your head.

We ain't nothing alike,
Mary and me.

At least, that's what Ben says.

Well, Ben's just like all the rest of them.
He never even met her.

Well, he knows what she did.
What she did is her business.

She had no business
selling your ranch.

All right, you're different.
You would have done it different.

Let's let it go.

How do you mean I'm different?

I mean you got a man.

At least you stick to him.

He's not my man.
Well, you're with him, ain't you?

Not like you mean.
All right, forget it.

What are you doing with Ben,
anyway?

Did you expect to run
and hide forever?

Ben was taking me
to California.

He was gonna start new.

Start new? At what?

Ranching, maybe.
He knows a lot about cattle.

Yeah, other people's cattle.

Did you ever think for a minute
that Ben had the temper,

to settle on the land?

To clear it, to build on it?

To bring in the cattle

and nurse them through the winter?

And round up strays,

brand calves...

Start new? The only thing
Ben'll start is trouble.

He's wild, sure.

Like my father used to be.

But they didn't do one out of 10 things
that people blamed them for.

He's mean. He was born mean
and you know he was born mean.

Ben took me for my father's sake,

when there was no cause for him to,
and he's treated me decent.

Well, that's more than he's done
for most people.

I've never seen him hurt no one,
except in a fair fight.

Sure, I know, sure.
And who are you to talk?

You didn't track him all this way
just 'cause he's mean.

I never said I did.
There's a lot of outlaws riding free

with no one after them.

Ben could've k*lled a dozen men
and you wouldn't have looked twice

if it wasn't for the reward.

Where have you been?

How's the leg?
Here you are.

Breakfast in bed.

What's this?
You better eat it before we tell you.

I made a map of the trail ahead.
Here, take a look.

I know the way.

Hey, look.

Here's this pony-backed ridge

marked along this stretch of trees.

You follow these mountains
right down to the big river,

and we'll meet on the other side.
Meet who?

Well, what he means,
all of you go on ahead,

and I use this map
to catch up with you later.

That's right, isn't it?

It's the only smart way.

Riding alone, he can make up time
it would take us days to cover.

And the rain's coming.

Well, Jesse, what do you think?

I'm thinking if something goes wrong,
and you don't meet up with us,

I stand to gain from it
as much as Roy here.

That's a dirty idea.

I ain't much proud of it,
but it's the truth.

It won't be that way with me,
is all I can promise.

As soon as we get across,
we wait for you on the other side.

You got Jesse's word on it,
and mine.

Here, this is yours.

Come on, let's get the horses ready.
I'm riding with you.

What are you trying to do?
k*ll yourself?

I ain't going to cheat you.

You know, your trouble is
you just think of one thing at a time.

If this is his plan to get rid of me,
who's next?

Just think that over.

You better let Roy ride drag.
You ain't fit.

You know, Howie,

I ain't been tied up like this
since I was knee high to spit.

The time Pa sold our place
in Missouri

and started us out for Texas.

I didn't want to go, so I run off.

He caught me, tied me up
and throwed me in the wagon, hun.

That was a hard winter.

Ma caught the fever
and d*ed on the way.

Pa didn't amount
to much after that.

Got gunned down in a saloon
before we ever saw Texas.

After that I

met up with some wild, young fellows.

You might say I come to no good.

Look out!

Come on,
you buzzard bait, move.

Is it time yet?
Pretty near.

I can't sleep anyway.

Might be a cat poking around.
I'll go and see.

I better see what's
at the other end.

Now, this ain't bad.

We could all do
with some of Jesse's coffee.

Hey, Roy,

wet cords are shrinking.
How about it?

I'm not going out
in this weather.

Easy there, girlie,
you'll have it all down on us.

It runs back about 30 yards.
Funnels down to another opening,

about big enough for a cat
to crawl through. Or him.

Hey, Lina honey,

this weather's
creeping into my bones.

Can you do me?

Huh!... I wonder if you really
need this,

or if you just like
to be rubbed.

Same thing.

A man needs what he likes.

Poor old Howie.

That bad leg's
just about got him wore out.

Might not be too sharp
on his watch tonight.

Shouldn't have to stand one,
the way he is.

Better for us.

This might be our chance.

He's coming around on
his feeling for you.

If you was to sit up
with him tonight,

and tell him the things that a man
likes to know, you know...

It'd only be a minute before
I'd be out of that hole in back.

But if Kemp finds out...
Finds out what?

I'll be long gone.

You're not gonna let me down,
are you, honey?

No, Ben,

only... Only what?

He's got no feeling for me.

No? All he cares about is
the reward.

Well, you're right, honey.

You're better off out of it.

I guess my only hope is
that he'll drop off,

at least long enough for me

to pick up a rock
and smash his head in.

I don't want to,
but time's running out.

I can help you, Ben.

The way you said.
You sure?

It?ll be all right, honey.
It'll be all right.

Now, you get some coffee, huh?

What's the matter?
Nothing. Restless.

The stuff's been out
long enough.

It can't hurt. It's all right.

It's making music.

There's a sour one someplace.

Roy's.

You know, at that, it sounds better
than some fiddlers I've heard.

Is dancing hard to learn?

No, not the way I do it.

Do you like it?
Yeah, used to.

Sometimes I just like
to sit outside by a window

and listen to the music.

Like now.

Did you ever see
Mexican dancing?

What are you gonna do
when you get back to Abilene?

Help Ben if I can.

Don't you want anything
for yourself?

Used to think of going
to California.

Why California?

Someplace new,

nobody caring who you are,
or where you come from.

A place you could belong to.

A house,
and maybe even neighbors.

I had neighbors, you know.

Tom Webster and his missus,
lived right across the river.

Had four sons, each one
of them skinnier than the other.

Always coming over
to lend a hand.

Didn't give you much chance
to get lonesome.

The house ain't much,

but it's just prime
cattle country.

And the fella that owns
the ranch now, he's willing to sell.

Maybe...

Maybe you'd like to take a look
at it after I buy it back.

With the money you get
for Ben?

Oh, that's something else.
I'm talking to you now.

Be like stepping on a grave.

You know what I'm asking you?

I can't say how I feel,
the way things are.

All right, get up.

Come on, come on, get up.

Come on. We're through
fooling with you.

Quit that!
"Dead or alive," it says.

Stop him! Ben won't have
a chance.

Chance at what? To k*ll us all?

All right, if that's what you want,
I'll give him a chance.

Go. Now, cut him loose.

Don't let him do it.
Cut him loose!

All right, Ben.

It ain't a fair fight, Howie.

My hands ain't fit.

You're ready now, anytime.

Come on, draw.

I ain't got
a prayer against you,

and you know it.

It's your first move.

If you're goin
to m*rder me, Howie,

don't try to make it look
like something else.

Ah!...
Come on, draw.

k*ll him!

All right.
Oh!...

Leave it be.

It's getting so I don't know
which way to point this no more.

How many chances does he get?
Is this part of your deal with her?

I didn't...
No, no, you didn't keep me busy

while he's making his break.

No, it just happened that way.

It just happened that way.

Well, this is no good.
You got any more shortcuts?

Well, there's no sense
stewing about it.

We got here late and that's it.

That's the time you cost us.

If you'd listened to me we could've...
All right, I'll listen to you now,

if you got any ideas
about how to get across here.

No, we can't get across that.
You gotta get downstream a ways.

How far?
Oh four, five days if we make time.

We can swim it here,
so let's start now.

I'll take the point if you're afraid.

At least I got the sense
to be afraid.

Besides, what about her?

She wouldn't last two minutes
in that current.

You want to go downstream?
Take her with you.

What if Ben gets washed away?
Then we got nothing.

I bow to your superior wisdom.

I promise you, Jesse, he'll get
across, one way or the other.

Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, you can't do that,

but not like this.
Just like this. Why not?

We'll go downstream
before we cross.

Now what are you worried
about, your girl?

Don't tell me you're
worried about him.

Howie, it's no different from the rope
in Abilene.

You knew you were
gonna bring him back

to die when you
started after him.

You know that now.
That hasn't changed.

He's not a man,
he's a sack of money.

That's why we're all here,
especially you.

Why don't you face up to it?

I don't suppose either of you object
to stopping the night here.

Ah, I didn't think so.

Ah, I...

Hey, Lina, honey,

it's my back again.

Can you do me?

Let me do you this time.

Start fixing for a fire, girlie.

How do you like your rubbing?

Up and down or side to side?

Hey, you don't have to do that.

You better look after your partners.

Partners, huh?

If I didn't need a grubstake,

I'd have walked out
on this deal long ago.

That's too bad.

If you'd been lucky
like my friend...

And I've had about enough
of that, too.

You got no friend
found gold around here,

you're talking about yourself.

I knowed I shouldn't have sh*t
off my mouth in front of you.

Quit playacting.
You wanted me to know it all along.

So, let's get at it.

You tell me where to dig,

and I'll see that your
gal is provided for.

Don't try to horse-trade me,
Jesse.

I ain't gonna tell you where
my gold it's, but I'll show you.

I knew that's what
you been scratching for all along.

Trouble is, I don't trust you
no more than I trust them.

Well, you don't have
to trust nobody.

Even if you don't
fancy my gold mine,

you still got me
all to yourself.

Now, that's saying I trust you.

Say I tell you where my gold is,
you might still turn me in.

If I make a deal, I stick by it.

At least I wouldn't have
any partners to worry about.

Except me.
What do you mean, you?

If I did it, now just,
if it'd be an even swap.

You go loose,
and I get the gold mine.

Now, that ain't fair, Jesse,
I got a right to some of that gold.

Fair or no,
its the only deal I'd make.

And it's a poor deal no matter.

Same deal.
I'll trade you even up.

Your neck for that gold,
yes or no?

I'm not prepared to win,
Jesse, you know that.

Come on then,
I got two horses ready.

I'll get Lina.

No, she ain't part of the deal.

She goes with me.

If I'm gonna be broke,
I ain't gonna be lonesome.

Get her up, then.

Remember, I'm watching you.

I'll tell you later. Come on.

Hey, snake! Snake!
Snake! Snake!

Where? Where?

Hey! Ben, hey, hey.

Fun's over.
Get down off that horse.

I said off, come on, move.

You all right, honey?

You got the g*n.
What do you care?

You're all right.

Get moving.

I got it coming.

Do business with the devil
and you'll get it every time.

Ain't it the truth?

Get going.

Lina, honey, you take the horse.

Hold it, Jesse.

You better get going, Ben.
The other two will be along any minute.

You mean we better get going,
don't you, honey?

If it suits you, I'll settle for going.

I don't fancy your friend
with a g*n in his hand.

'Course, I don't suppose
Ben would be fool enough to sh**t.

It'd be heard 20 mile or more.

Who's talking about sh**ting?

Leave him with the burro, Ben,
you don't need him. Please.

I'm just thinking that...

from up there,

a man could pick off anything
that moves in this clearing.

The only trouble is,

there's nothing to stop a man.

Make him hold up
for a while.

Ben, I got to talk a different way now,
I know that.

But that gold mine still ain't gonna
do you much good.

I'm thinking...
Thinking is your weak spot, Jesse.

Here, Lina, hold the horses.
Leave the burro.

Ben, Ben, no!

You had no reason to k*ll him.
He couldn't hurt you none.

Leave him lay like that.

They'll come after you sure now.

That sh*t'll bring them
and they'll finish you.

I figure they'll come.
Now get those horses

on the other side of that rock.

Come on, do as I say,

before I have to knock some
sense into you.

Up here.

Get down.

Better not move around
too much up here.

Come on, you too.

I swear, he ain't half
as worried over it as you are.

Look at him.

Lying there peaceful
in the sun.

Ain't never gonna be
hungry again.

Never want anything he can't have.
That's more than we can say.

Oh, oh!...

Hold still. Hold still.

You're gonna be
still from now on.

I ain't been harder on you

'cause I know you never seen
a man k*lled close up.

Well, that'll pass.

Day after tomorrow, it'll be
just like a story you once heard.

You k*lled that man in Abilene
like Kemp said!

Just another g*n I'll never have
to look into, you understand?

Pretty soon, Roy and your friend Howie
are gonna show up.

Then I'll get me some more
insurance against dying young.

Ben, we can get away.
California. We can go there.

You always said
you'd take me to California.

Might go to California.

Kemp didn't k*ll you
when he had the chance, remember?

You got to remember that.
I remember what suits me.

If you forget this, I won't ever do
anything you don't want, I promise.

I won't talk,
I won't do anything wrong...

Of course you won't, honey.

I decided how it was gonna be
with us when I took you in.

Boys must be having trouble
finding their way.

Ain't lost my touch.

Think I'll try for a pair.

Quiet now, here they come.

That's better, Howie.

Stand together, boys.

Howie!

Lina's hurt bad.

Caught a ricochet.
She's bleeding something awful.

How about a truce
so I can fix her up?

What do you say, Howie?

Lina!

Lina, are you all right?

I didn't know what to do.

Where is...
Help!

Roy! Roy!

I got him! I got him!

Come in alone,
we'll pull him in after!

Stop it!

Ben's dead. Ain't that enough?

Look!

Look out! Let go of him!

Look out!

Cut him loose, Howie.
I'm taking him back.

This is what I came after
and now I got it.

Now no partner,
how i started.

He's gonna pay for my land.

Jesse, and Roy, and him...

They are dead! It's all over!

Ben's not dead if you take him back.

He'll never be dead for you.

I don't care anything about
that but money.

That's all I care about.
That's all I've ever cared about.

Roy, he called the truth.
He said. "Face up to it".

All right, that's what I'm doing.
That's what I'm doing.

Maybe I don't fit your ideas of me,
but that's the way I am.

All right, if that's the way you
want it, I'll ride with you.

I'll ride with you all the way.

I'm taking him back.
I know.

I'll marry you.

I'll go with you,
I'll even live on that land with you.

What else do you want from me?

Why?

Tell me why?

I'm taking him back,
I swear it.

I'm gonna sell him for money.

You still want to try California?

If you want.

That's it, then.

I'll fix some
of Jesse's coffee for you.

"THE END"