03x19 - The High Country

[bunniefuu]

Country like this
not being used.

Folks here use it, Pa.

Not like we would maybe.

They do a lot of hunting
and trapping.

Place is full of game.

It's a waste.

And those people got
no right to fence

free government grazing land.

Huh, maybe not.

They've driven out
every other herd

that's tried to move in.

Not 10,000 head
with 40 drovers,

they haven't.

We pull that fence down,

we'll be starting
something

that sure
won't be easy to stop.

Old man Duncan will back off
when he sees

we mean business.

No.

I spent 3 days
talking to him.

Take my word, him and his
people may seem

peaceful enough,

but they'll fight
to keep this land.

I fought for everything
I've got.

Are you afraid to do
the same to keep it?

You need an answer to that?

Tim, there's nothing behind us
but dust bowls

and dried up waterholes.

If we don't move in here now,

there'll be 25 years
of hard work

drained into that parched
earth back there.

[ horses neighing ]

Easy, easy,
easy, easy, easy.

h*, boy. h*. h*.

Don't lose that spirit.

You're gonna make a fine
mount one of these days.

You get your rest
while you can,

the ranch is a long way off.

I'll be back as soon as I can.

There's one of them now.

Wouldn't hurt to serve
a little notice.

Drop a shot
into that tree close by.

Looks like just a kid.

It's good,
he'll scare better.

Ah, Pa, there ain't
no call

to start sh**ting at--

All right, I'll do it myself.

Uh, he's a long way off.

With your eyesight
you're just as likely

to hit him as miss him.

I'll do it.

[ g*nsh*t ]

[ horse neighing ]

Easy, boy, easy, easy.

Easy now, gentle.

I think I know
just the rider for you.

Hi, Slim. Boy!

You sure got a nice bunch.

Yeah, I got
a special one, too.

Open the corral, Mike.

Come on.

Okay, get in.
Come on, get in.

Easy, boy, easy, easy, easy.

h*, h*, h*.

Come on, get in.

Oh, Slim,
I'm so glad you're back.

We missed you.

Good to be back, Daisy.

I've chased so many broncs,

I'll be doing it in my sleep
for a while.

How is the high country?

Quiet. Didn't see a soul.

Where's Jess?

Oh, one of the drivers
took sick.

Jess is driving the stage
for him to Fallbrook.

He'll be back tomorrow.

Are you sure
he didn't run away,

so he wouldn't have to help me
break these broomtails?

Jess, run away from work?

I never heard
of such a thing.

I picked him up yesterday
on my way home.

I thought he might be about
the right size for Mike.

A wild horse?

Oh, the others
are wild enough,

but he doesn't seem to be.

No, he must have run away
from an Indian herd.

There's no brand, no shoes,
no saddle markings.

Yeah.

Has Mike behaved himself
while I was gone?

Well, he's a long way
from perfection, thank heaven.

But I will say he's trying.

Has he tried hard enough
to deserve a surprise?

Like having his own horse?

Slim, you mean it?

Which one of that bunch
do you like, Mike?

That one.
He's the best one I ever saw.

What do you think, Daisy?

Please, Aunt Daisy.

I'll be so darn good,

you won't even know
it's me, honest.

I don't care
if you're a little recognizable.

Then it's all right?

He's mine for keeps?

I guess so.

What are you gonna
name him, Mike?

Giant.

This is the best horse
in the world, Slim.

That could have been
a mistake, you know?

Why, climbing aboard like that,
he might have thrown you.

Oh, I'd have climbed
right back on him if he did.

Come on, get down.

Hold his bridle, Mike.

Let's see
if this saddle fits him.

It ought to be small enough.

h*, boy, h*.

I mean, the right size.

[ neighing ]

I had a feeling
this was going too easy.

You can break him,
though, can't you?

Sure.

Another week or two,
you'll think that saddle

was born part of him.

We'll start tomorrow.

Can't we start now?

Daisy's going
to have supper ready.

We'll do it first thing
in the morning.

Before my chores?

Before your chores.

[ thunder rumbling ]

[ horse neighing ]

Slim! Slim!
Giant is gone!

Somebody must have stole him!

Stay in one place, Mike.

I'm looking for tracks.

He was let out, all right.

And whoever it was
couldn't have been very big

by the size
of those boot marks.

He took the west road, too.

Well, you're gonna go
after him, though,

aren't you, Slim?

I want him back awful bad.

He got a pretty good
head start on us, Mike.

Well, you'll try, won't ya?

Giant, well,
he's sort of small.

And I bet you he couldn't go
half as fast as your horse.

You could catch up to him.

That makes sense,
doesn't it, Slim?

We'll get him, Mike.

You figure Jess
will be home today?

He'll be here
on the morning stage.

I'll pack you some food
in case you need it.

Go on, hey!
What are you waiting for?

Horse thief!

Horse thief?

Oh, you're not going
to deny it, are you?

I chased you for 35 miles
on one of my horses

stolen from my barn,
and you call me a horse thief?

That was my horse.

I've raised him
since he was foal.

I caught him along
with 5 other wild horses



You call him wild?

When you shot at me,
he ran off.

Then you stole him.

When I what?

When you shot at me.

I saw you
and your friend run off.

And I followed
by those tracks

straight to your ranch.

You know, you almost had me
starting to believe you.

Now you add some wild story
about me sh**ting at you.

Well, you're making up lies
as fast as you can talk.

You're not one of those
cattlemen then,

planning to ride a herd

through the high country
meadows?

What herd?

Mister, you play
as dumb as you like,

but you're not fooling me.

I'm not trying
to fool anybody.

I just intend to take
that horse back to my ranch.

[ g*nsh*t ]

Go ahead,
cow pusher.

Give me cause to drop you
right where you stand.

Dev, am I glad
to see you.

Sure, you are.
Get his iron.

Now wait a minute.

I'd soon put a hole
in you as look at you.

You just keep talking,
it'll be excuse enough.

Dev, you can't.

All night we've been
looking for you,

worried out sick.

You've been
with him like some--

You keep
your dirty mouth shut!

I'm only saying
what everybody else will say.

You acting such
with one of them cowmen.

Well, I never set eyes on her
until a few minutes ago.

I warned you.

I got no feelings for him,
and I got less for you.

You sh**t him,
and Pa will have you whopped

and strung
to the nearest tree.

Jason will disown you
as his daughter

when he hears
what you've been doing.

All I've been doing is
getting my horse back

from this horse thief.

Now put that g*n down.

I got my horse

and that's all
I'm interested in.

Well, that ain't all Jason
will be interested in.

Maybe he'll believe
your story, maybe he won't.

But he'll sure want to see
this here cow pusher.

I don't know who you got me
mixed up with, mister.

I own a relay station
outside of Laramie.

They don't care
where you come from, mister.

It's where
you're going that counts.

We'll let Jason decide
what to do with him.

You go on over there
and get your horse.

[ cows mooing ]

[ whistling ]

It's about time
you took a little break.

I never figured
I was raising myself a son

who could out-work me.

Yeah, my tail bone was
starting to take root

in the saddle.

It was a case of either
climbing down

or staying up there forever.

Well, couple of more days
you ought to be ready

to move
into the high country.

Any sign of Jason Duncan
or his people?

Oh, Reb's watching out there
and nothing yet.

Well, you can bet
they know we're here.

Maybe not.
We're still far

enough down in the valley.

For sure, they've seen
the fence has been torn out.

Be blind
if they haven't.

Pa, like I've been
trying to tell you,

I got to know
some of them up there.

They aren't bad people.

Oh, I never figured
that they were.

They're just in the way,
that's all.

You got regrets?

None to speak of.

[ horse neighing ]

Anything wrong, Reb?

Yeah, I spotted some of those
high country people

making off with about
half a dozen of our strays.

What did you do?

Well, there are
four or five of them.

I didn't figure to start a w*r
without your say-so, Mel.

Where did you see them?

Where you tore
that fence down.

Cookie, they'll be early
chow tonight.

Get six or seven
of the boys.

Directly after supper,
we'll take a little ride.

All right, Mel.

You want
to come along?

Why not?

You won't tell Ma
I fell into the tree,

will you, elder Duncan?

There won't be
any needing that.

Thanks. She'd hide me
good if you did.

Like I said,
there won't be any needing

my telling
since you'll be.

Do I have to?

You do
'cause you did wrong.

You have to set
that wrong right.

But she's got
a powerful switching arm, elder.

Sometimes hiding makes
a boy better for it.

For sure it makes him
think twice next time

he heads to do something
he knows he shouldn't.

[ horses approaching ]

Besides, next time
you might not be so lucky.

It could be I'd have to use
these cutting tools.

Bone fractures
can be mighty bad.

Dev and Clay's
found Willow,

and they got
an outlander, too.

You head on home, boy.

But I want to see.

Now you do as I said.

Yes, sir.

Pa.

I'm glad you're back safe,
Willow.

Well, I would
have told you,

but I knew you'd think
going after a horse

wasn't a seemly thing
for me to do.

I found her out
in the lodge pole meadow,

with this
here cattleman.

Well, he stole my horse.

We wasn't doing
anything wrong.

I'm not strictly
a cattleman.

If I was gonna
steal a horse for myself,

I wouldn't steal
a little horse.

Shut your mouth till
you're told to speak.

As he said, stranger,
hold your peace,

your chance
will come later.

A body can only guess
what them two was doing.

I guess I know
my daughter considerably

better than you.

As a daughter maybe...

not as a woman.

I slapped you once,
Dev Bardeen,

and I can do it again!

Don't you be,
miss, prim with me.

That's all I want
to hear from you, Dev.

Now the accusations
have been made

and they've been denied.

I'll think on the matter.

How about you?

Maybe that horse
does belong to your daughter,

but I didn't know it.

It didn't have
a brand on it,

just running
around loose.

Thought I'd take it to a boy

that would give it
a good home.

You're not a cattleman?

I told him,
I run a relay station

outside of Laramie.

I raise a few steers, yeah.

A natural thing to deny
under the circumstances.

What circumstances?

You know as well as I do
that our fences

have been torn down, that
thousands of head of cattle

have been rounded up
for a drive onto our land.

It's the first
I heard about it.

There's a lot of
grasslands up here.

There ought to be plenty of room
for all kinds of cattle.

We settled this land away
from those

who live differently from us.

It's clean,
quiet and peaceful,

like our people
when they're left alone.

Like him you mean?

We do not mean to be
overrun by brawling,

ungodly men
who fight and drink

and would despoil our women,

even as you have been
here accused.

What he said is a lie,
and you know it.

It is not a lie that the game
we hunt would be

driven off by your cattle,

that the meadows would be
trampled into a stubble,

that the very air
we breathe would be

filled with the noise
and the smell of your herds.

They're not my cattle
and I don't know whose they are.

And I don't believe you.

We'll talk about it and decide
what's to be done later.

What's there to decide?

If you are lying
and those cattle are driven

onto our land, you must meet
the consequences.

[ horse approaching ]

Jason.

What happened?

Strays and the herd, found them
up by boulder creek.

Did you see
the rest of the herd?

Oh, there's thousands of them,
more are coming.

Soon they'll just be pouring
into the upper meadows.

I hope for your sake
they turn back

while there's still time.

Take him up to the cabin
behind the meeting place.

I say hang him now.

You do as I tell you.
See no harm comes to him.

Jason, what do we do
with them cattle we found?

They're ours.

It's payment for the fence
that's been destroyed.

Pen them up.

Select three and slaughter them.
Tonight we'll eat beef.

You do that
and you're really gonna be

starting something.

We started nothing.

This trouble's been
brought to us.

We didn't go looking for it.

It's the same thing.

All you can do is
reach for a g*n.

You're just as wrong
as those drovers are,

trying to bull
their way in here.

The opening shot
will not be fired

by any of us.

But if the cattlemen
do attack,

you'll be their
first casualty.

Take him.

Jess!

Hey, you weren't
gonna sh**t me

with that old blunderbuss,
were you?

Well, for a minute
I thought you were

that horse thief come back.

What are you doing
all dressed up?

Isn't it past your bedtime?

Well, I couldn't sleep.

Slim said he'd be
back long before now.

Well, I reckon that
thunderstorm we had this

afternoon slowed him
down some.

One thing's for sure,
it wiped out all his tracks.

What are we gonna do,
Jess?

Well, first thing we're gonna
get some shut-eye.

Then I want to get me
a fresh horse in the morning,

start looking again.

But suppose he--

Now you just
quit supposing.

If he's in any part of this
country I'll find him.

I still think
it's my fault,

me wanting that horse
so bad and all.

Well, it's nothing
of the kind.

You know, Slim
wouldn't let anything happen

to his horses anyway.

That's what I've been
thinking about.

What if he caught up
with that horse thief?

And what could
have happened when he did?

Boy, when it comes
to looking on the dark side

of things you sure
take the cake.

Now don't you know Slim
can take care of himself?

He's been doing
it for years.

I bet you think
I'm acting pretty dumb,

but I still can't help
worrying about him.

No, I don't think
anything of the kind.

You get on
into bed, huh,

before that worrier of yours
is all worn out by morning.

Okay.

Are you angry
with me, Willow?

Would it matter if I am?

I have only
one daughter.

Then don't wait for the
drovers to come here.

Go and talk to them,
you could make them see--

No amount of talk
will make them see.

For years I've gone
out and met them,

always it's the same.

Force is the only thing
they understand.

Some of our people
are gonna die

if there's a fight.

Death comes
to all of us.

To die for a cause gives
purpose for having lived.

But there's
so much land here.

And it's ours, and it will
not be taken from us.

[ g*nsh*t and
screaming ]

Don't move, any of you!

You're Mel Bishop.

Where is my cattle
your people took?

I suppose you know
what's done to rustlers.

They were on our land,
we took them.

Mister, you're in for
a sad awakening.

I checked with the
land office in Laramie,

all this land is open.

You got no legal title to it.

We're here,
that's enough.

But now we're here.

Then I suggest you get off
while you still can.

[ g*nsh*t ]

[ screaming ]

[ g*nshots ]

[ woman screaming ]

[ Willow shrieking ]

Willow, get down!

Hold your fire!

[ Willow screams ]

[ crying ]

[ crying ]

Willow.

MEL: Duncan,
do you hear me?

I hear you.

Well, the next time
you see us it'll be behind



If you got any brains,
you'll be somewhere else.

My people will be here
long after your cattle

have been driven back
and your drovers k*lled.

You have my word for it.

Well, that ties it.

We'll move the herd
in at dawn tomorrow.

Mel, you might
want to wait a bit.

Tim has been hit.

Here.

Help me get him
out of here.

I'll take him, Mel.

Thank you.

Jason, they pulled out.

Well, they'll be back.

You just got a little taste
of what's gonna happen.

Bishop's learned
his lesson.

He knows
we mean to stay.

Have you ever seen
cattle on the move?

Why, 1,000 head could flatten
this place in 20 minutes,

and Bishop's
got 10 times that many.

And they won't be
walking in,

they'll be stampeded.

Then we'll drive them back.

You can't do that,
don't you understand?

Why, there won't be
a hunk of wood left

in this village
as big as a matchstick.

I'm grateful to you
for saving my daughter,

but when I want your advice,
I'll ask for it.

Mr. Duncan, if you don't make
some kind of a deal

with Mel Bishop,
you're gonna be responsible

for a lot of people dying,
believe me.

There'll be no deal,
Mr. Sherman.

Then you just bought
yourself a w*r, mister.

All this wouldn't have been
needed, except for him.

When he jumped me,
we lost our one chance

to end it quick.

I don't have the stomach
for bushwhackers,

especially your kind.

m*rder is one thing,
defending our land's another.

One shot would have
saved a lot of lives.

Bishop's men would have
scattered like quail.

There'll be no m*rder,
nor ambush,

as long as I'm leader here.

Well, then maybe it's time
we got ourselves

a new leader.

That may be,
but it'll take a better man

than you to replace me.

Now get out there
with the others

and help with the work.

You honestly believe
you're gonna settle

anything handling
it this way?

The remains to be seen.

The only remains will be
what's left of this place

after it's over.

We have no wish to fight,

but if there's no other way,
we'll do it.

And we'll do it well.

Your daughter, the other women
and children here,

what about their lives?

They're not
your concern.

There's your horse.

For what you did last night,
you're free to go.

I advise you to go now.

This is none
of your affair.

Mr. Sherman,
please take this with my thanks.

Thanks, Willow.

My son's got a slug
in his chest, and you tell me

I shouldn't go after
those hill people.

You went up to the high country
looking for trouble.

I went looking
for grasslands.

With a g*n in your hand?

Tim tried to reason
with them first.

I sent him to talk to Duncan.
He wouldn't listen to him.

Well, I came here
to talk to you.

Now you're not gonna
listen to me.

I know you, Sherman.
You're a rancher just like me.

You know what it means
when feed lands burn out

and waterholes go dry.

You find others
or you go under.

So you just bull your way
into a new territory

not caring
who gets hurt.

Well, this time
it was different.

You're the one
that got hurt.

You talk like you're siding
against your own.

Not a case of siding
against anybody.

Well, mister,
it is with me.

The Bishop family took me
in when my own family

left me for dead.

They sent me to school.

When Tim was old enough,
there was never a fight

that we didn't
ride in together.

He means more than
all of your high country

people rolled into one.

You're all set for starting
a range w*r

that might wipe them out
and you, too, huh?

Right now I'm all for
cleaning up this camp

with your hide.

[ metal scattering ]

Ease off, boys.
Hold it! Hold it!

Reb!
That's enough.

I heard all I need
to hear from you.

Get on your horse
and clear out of here.

You're as polite
as old man Duncan.

Between the two of you,
you're gonna

tie this whole mess into a knot
that nobody can undo.

[ Tim moaning ]

He looks pretty bad, Bishop.

If you don't get him to a doctor
pretty quick, he's gonna--

You mind
your own business!

We sent to Laramie
for the doctor last night.

Well, he'd be awful lucky
to get here by sundown.

You might not even see him
till tomorrow.

So we'll see him tomorrow.

That might be too late.

For the last time,
get out of this camp!

There might be a man
that can help him.

I saw Duncan with
a surgical kit.

Now he wouldn't have those
instruments

unless he knew
how to use them.

You think I'd let him
touch my boy?

Well, you better,
or you might be

digging his grave by sundown.

You must really think
I'm jackass stupid

suggesting
something like that.

Well, if you don't take this
one chance

to save your boy's life,
I'll know you are.

Now have
this wagon unloaded,

bind that bottom
with bedrolls.

What makes you so sure
old man Duncan

will even try to help?

I'm not sure,
but there's one way

to find out,
and that's to try.

Reb, get the bedrolls.

All right, Mel.

[ moaning ]

Easy, boy, easy.

How long I've been out?

An hour, maybe two.

You got to do
something for me.

I'll be glad to if it'll just
keep you quiet.

I know the slugs are deep.

It won't be easy
getting it out.

We'll get it out.

Don't you worry
about that.

It's Jason
I'm thinking about it.

What would happen if--

Nothing's gonna happen.

We're all gonna be
right there with you.

Old Jason will bring you
through just fine

if he knows
what's good for him.

That's what I mean.

You got to keep Pa
and the others from doing

anything crazy if this--
this don't work out.

I'm telling you, Tim,
it's gonna work out.

Reb...

Yes, Tim?

Just for once,
do what I ask you to,

without me having to hit you
over the head

with a chair or something.

All right, if it's gonna
make you feel

any better,
you got my word on it.

Your men stays here
and so do the g*ns.

Did you make him my offer?

I did.

And?

He doesn't want
any part of your herd,

and he will help your boy.

Maybe.

I didn't think
you'd understand.

All right.

All you men stay here.

Keep your g*ns
in your holsters.

Best not to move him.
I'll look at him in the wagon.

I'm still willing to give you
any part of my herd.

I'll pay you
anything you want.

Can he save
my boy's life?

He's gonna try,
Mr. Bishop.

I'll need the usual things,
hot water,

compresses,
plenty of clean cloth.

They're bringing them,
Father.

From what I hear,
Bishop is willing to give

old Jason more than
half his cattle.

Could have made any
bargain he wanted.Got the whole herd maybe.

Well, he plays
a Good Samaritan,

we're still
where we were before.

If that kid dies,
you know what Bishop will do?

His crew will take
this place apart.

He's only got a handful
of men out there now.

Try anything
and Jason will only

put you down again.

Not if the rest of you
back me up, he won't.

All of a sudden grazing land
and cattle become

mighty unimportant.

I guess, a man always knows
what's really important to him.

He just lets other things
get in the way sometimes.

[ Tim groaning ]

Give me the probe.

First man
who makes a move,

he gets it right here.

Now real easy,
start handing them g*ns over,

left hand.

You all just
relax a while.

Some of my friends are
gonna stay

to keep you company.

He's conscious and feeling.
Hold him.

If he moves anymore,
the probe will k*ll him.

Hold his legs.

Here.

[ groans ]

[ sighs ]

Well, he's still breathing,
all right.

Bind him, Willow.
He's out of our hands.

Well?

b*llet's out, Mr. Bishop.
Your son is still alive.

He's young and strong,
but his survival is

in other hands
than mine now.

Perhaps,
prayer might help.

Thank you.

I suppose you know
you could have bargained

for whatever you wanted.

There was never
a thought of a bargain,

nothing's changed.

The high country is ours.

It's gonna stay that way
as long as

any of us here can fight.

You're still both
a couple of hardheads,

aren't you?

How many thousands of
acres of grasslands

are there up here
in the high country?

Nobody ever counted them.

Well, I've been riding
through here for years,

and I still haven't seen
them all.

So?

So with the
right kind of fences,

Bishop's entire herd
could graze down

on the lower meadows
without even

beginning to interfere
with you up here.

And nobody is
arguing that, mister.

We all know they could graze
in the lower meadows,

and they will,
as our herd not his.

Put those g*ns away.
Now!

I'm speaking
for our people now, old man.

You're through.

You got nobody with you,
not anymore.

Do you think I'm gonna turn
my herd over to you?

Well, I think you will
if you want to stay alive.

Why don't you just go up there
and try and take it?

Buck that trail crew of yours?

Not likely.

Now you're gonna
send one of your men down

with a message.

Either the cattle are
brought up here

before tomorrow night,
or we'll be burying you

and your friends up
on the hill.

For a man who's gonna do
all that k*lling,

Bardeen, you talk too much.

You take one more step
and you're gonna run

into a lot more
than just talk.

Well, I-- Well, maybe
it's time we find out.

I'm warning you.

You've been warning me

ever since I first laid
eyes on you, Bardeen.

You're a back sh**ter.

You don't have the guts
to pull that trigger

when somebody
is facing you.

You stay where you are!

They'll be punished
for what he tried to do.

Forgive us.

There's nothing to forgive
the way it worked out.

Now do you think
you two can stop fighting

and learn how to live together?

I think we can.

Looks like Mike's gonna
wear that horse's hide

plum out
for his own arm.

Well, from personal experience,
Jess,

I think Giant's gonna
outlast him.

I was about his age
when I got my first pony.

Both my arms were numb
from the shoulder down.

My arm's not tired.
Not yet anyway.

Yeah, well,
come suppertime,

you won't even be
able to lift a fork.

You know, I heard
a fellow starved to death

that way once.

Well, I think we might
starve a little, too.

You haven't caught
a thing yet.

Why don't you just
get your pole

and show us
how it's done?

I will just as soon as I finish
Giant's other side.

You know he's sure pretty.
He really is.

I don't know how that girl
ever gave him up.

Oh, I don't think
she misses him, Mike.

She's got other things
on her mind.

More fighting?

Yeah,
that's just about right.

Well, I thought you said that,
well, the cattlemen

and the mountain people,
well they divided

up the grasslands.

Yeah, well, he did.

But he also said
that old Jason's daughter

and Tim Bishop were
gonna get married.

Well, then what's the fighting
gonna be about?

What's the fighting
gonna be about?

Shucks,
a man don't even know

what real fighting
is till he gets married.

Jess, you got a bite.

No, I don't.

It must have got away.

Maybe you'd just
better concentrate

on catching supper, huh?

Mike will find out about
marriage soon enough.

Yeah,
I reckon you're right.