03x25 - The Replacement

[bunniefuu]

Let's get him.

Don't make this any tougher
than it has to be.

Come on out
with your hands up.

[ g*nsh*t ]

Well, that was kinda close.

This guy must mean
business.

Yeah, well,
so do we.

I didn't mean
to k*ll him.

I didn't even mean
to fire.

It just happened,
that's all.

He asked for it, Mort.

Just like
he wanted it done.

Seventeen-year-old boys
don't ask to die.

This one did
when he pulled
that two-bit robbery

and then tried
to sh**t it out with us.

I only wish I'd known
how young he was.

All right,
so he was young.

But he would have k*lled
you just as fast

as some gunslinger
twice his age.
Maybe faster.

You don't know
he was gonna sh**t.

I sure didn't get this hole
by no moth chewing on it.

You were just doing your job,
Mort, protecting the law.

We all were.
'Cause sometimes
it's our jobs too,

but any one of us
might have done
just what you did.

Maybe, only I'm the one
wearing the badge.

It's up to me
to call things right.

For this council to try
to judge Sheriff Corey

without hearing
from his friends

is as wrong
as wrong can be.

Well, let me get
this straight.

Are you accusing Mort
of doing something wrong?

Let's just say
that his contract

with the town
runs out next month.

So we'd like to hear
your slant

on how the Bramley boy
was k*lled and why.

That's easy,
the boy held up a store.

He tried
to sh**t it out with us
when we went to arrest him.

That's not exactly
the way we've heard it.

Now what Jess means
is if Mort hadn't fired first,

the Bramley boy
would've shot him.

Do you have
any proof of that?

Did either
one of you hear

Bramley threaten
to sh**t him?

Mister,
when somebody's waving

a .30-30 under your nose,
you don't stop to ask them

what they're gonna do
with it.

Oh, yes. On more
than one occasion,

Sheriff Corey has said
the same thing.

And in the past 12 months,

we've had 14 shootings
and nine fatalities.

I want
you to understand

that we believe
Corey is doing his best.

However, he wouldn't be
the first man to be eaten up

by the badge he wears.

Would you feel better
if we brought Mort slung

over that horse
instead of the Bramley boy?

Why, we--

Who was
out to k*ll him!

Now we all recognize
Mort Corey as a brave man.

But if this town
is to grow and prosper,

we're gonna need someone
who thinks before he shoots.

Now it's just
as simple as that.

There must be
something we can do, Slim.

Till they name
Mort's replacement,

I can't think
of much we can do.

Well, it just don't
seem fair.

Man gives his whole life
to a town and just...

up and turn him out
like that.

[ door slamming ]

Now wait, Jess.

We're gonna tell him,
aren't we?

I've been thinking
about it.

- I think we ought to
sit on it for a while.
- Why?

Well, first thing,
we don't know

if the city council is gonna
vote to replace him.

You got to wait
till the dam breaks

before you know
it's raining?

All right.
What good is it
gonna do to tell him?

Is that gonna
change anything?

The way I figure,
Mort's feeling bad enough

without dumping this mess
into his lap.

Yeah,
I guess you're right.

MOSE: Whoa!

Howdy, Mose.

- Hi, Slim.
- How was the trip?

Well, the ruts
is getting deeper

and the sun's
getting hotter.

And that seat's
getting harder every time out.

Look lively, folks.

This is your last chance
to stretch your legs
before we get to Laramie.

Hello.

Afternoon, ma'am.

Thank you very much.

My pleasure.

MOSE: You'd better be
nice to him, Slim.

He's gonna be the new
deputy sheriff in Laramie.

Everyone around here

share your dislike
of deputy sheriffs?

Everybody shares my liking
for Mort Corey.

He's a friend of mine,
a good friend.

I'm hoping you get to be
a good friend of mine too,

if that's not asking
too much.

Well, that depends.

On what?

On whether it's before

or after you push him
out of a job.

Now you better get aboard,
ma'am.

Slim has the teams
all hooked up.

We'll be pulling out
any minute.

Now back, boy.
Back.

- All set, Slim?
- Yeah. All ready, Mose.

Right,
take it away, Mose.

Mose!

Wait a minute, Mose!
Mose!

Well, it's like they say,
if you miss one,

there'll be
another one along.

Who was he, Slim?

That was the new deputy
sheriff of Laramie.

Mort's replacement.

His name,
what was his name?

I think
they said Halleck.

Halleck.

Paul Halleck.

Well, you know him?

Yeah.

Captain, U.S. Army.

Been six years
since I seen him last.

I swore if I ever came
face to face with him again,

one of us wouldn't walk
away from it.

SLIM: Jess.

I wouldn't like it
if you tried to stop me, Slim.

- You just don't up
and k*ll a man, Jess.
- This one's different.

You wait a minute
and tell me why.

I'm going to town now,

or a minute from now
or an hour from now.

It doesn't matter.

Just exactly
what is he to you?

Six years ago,
near the end of the w*r,

a patrol of mine was captured
by the 7th Michigan.

They threw us
in a Yankee prison camp.

How come you never
told me about that?

Because I wanted
to forget about it,

wanted to blot it
out of my mind.

It was that kind
of a prison camp

and Halleck was the man
who ran it.

That's behind you, Jess.

Why rake it up again?

I thought I had it
buried deep enough,

but I reckon I didn't.

Because as soon as
I saw him again,

I could recall it
like it was yesterday.

Right now, I can see

every log in that block house,
every barb on that fence,

and every marker
in that rotten graveyard.

And you think k*lling him
is going to change all of that?

I don't know!

There's only one way
to find out.

All right,
I'm going with you.

No!

You've been on this ranch
for three years, Jess,

you're as much
a part of it as I am.

And I'm not letting you
throw that away

and I'm not letting you
go into town.,

I told you not to try
and stop me.

What do you figure
on doing?

sh**ting me too?

I'm sorry, Slim.

I guess
I'm kinda out of line.

Oh, Sharon,
if I live to be 100,

I'll never learn
to tie one of these.

Here, let me see.

Oh, you did fine.

Best turned-out sheriff
west of the Mississippi.

Don't rush me,
deputy sheriff.

Pa?

Now you stop worrying.

Look, after six years
in the Dakotas,

this is the beginning
of a new life.

Especially for you.

Especially
for my little girl.

Now you stop worrying,
you hear?

All that other stuff,
everything else
is behind us, right?

Well, just the same,
be careful, please.

Good night, honey.

Good night.

Sheriff,
I'm Halleck.

Glad to know you.

Mayor tells me you've had
a lot of experience
wearing a badge.

Some, up north.

I guess maybe you wanna
take a look at these.

Decorated
during the w*r, huh?

Yeah, too scared
to run a couple of times.

I picked up some ribbon
and hardware,

along with a few scars.

Well, we can get
to the paperwork later.

Want me
to show you around?

No, thanks,
I'll manage.

I thought I'd take
a tour of Front Street.

Sort of let them
get used to me.

Halleck, this town
is yours for tonight.

Take good care of it.

See you in the morning.

Yes, sir.

Everything under control?

Oh, about like always,
we get used to it.

JESS:
Hold it, deputy.

Relax, Sam,
pour the deputy a drink.

Thanks,
I never use it.

I don't make a habit
of it myself.

This is a real
special event.

Sort of a class reunion,

but we'll skip that
for now.

Do I know you?

Take a good look, captain.

You know me.

Harper, wasn't it?

That's right.

You might say I'm here
for a lot of others

who couldn't make it.

Six years.

That's a long time
to carry

that much hatred
around with you.

Well, I'm planning on
getting rid of it right now.

All right,

but before you do anything
you're liable to regret,

keep in mind
I'm part of the law here now.

You draw on me,
you're in trouble.

No matter
how it turns out.

Do you think
that's gonna stop me?

I don't know if anything's
gonna stop you.

All I can do is try.

Halleck.

It's too late, Harper,
the w*r's over.

You sh**t me, it's gonna
have to be in the back.

Stay where you are!

It's over, Jess.

Now let's bury it

where it should've been
buried a long while ago.

It's time
we're heading home.

Yeah.

I guess I made enough mistakes
for one day.

Slim...

you know
why I hit you, huh?

Yeah.

I wanted to keep you
out of it.

No hard feelings.

Hold it, Slim.

Hello, Jess.

Duncan.

One and the same.

It's been a long time.

Last I heard of you,
you were prospecting up north.

What brings you to this
part of the country?

Oh, a little
unfinished business,
you might say.

Only I don't think
it'll stay unfinished long

now that I've seen you.

Knute.

You remember my brother,
don't you, Jess?

Sure, I do.

Howdy, Knute.

He was a mite younger
then,

but you were good friends
as I recall.

So, Jess, I'll wait up
the street for you.

Oh, no such thing.

Friend of Jess' is a friend
of mine and Knute.

This here is Slim Sherman.

He owns the ranch
where I work.

Howdy.

You'll have to excuse
my brother, Mr. Sherman.

Since the w*r,
he's become a little quiet.

Well, how come?

What's wrong, Knute?

You were always good
at understanding him, Jess.

I swear there were times
I don't think

he'd have come out of that
Yankee prison camp alive

if it hadn't been for you.

He was only 15.

In a w*r when he should've been
in school.

Oh, he got his education,
all right.

Ask him yourself,
you'll see.

What is it, boy?

Something
you wanna tell me?

What's wrong, Duncan?

He hasn't said a word
in six years.

Why?

You shouldn't ask me,
Jess. No.

Captain Halleck's
the man you should ask.

He's the one
that done it.

How?

Just like he did
everything else.

Come on, Knute,

time we check in
into the boardinghouse.

It's a long ride
back to the ranch, Jess.

We better get going.

You go ahead, Slim,
I'm staying in town.

Why?

Because of what Halleck
apparently did to that boy?

Partly.

What's the rest of it?

The only reason Halleck
walked out of that saloon

is because I wouldn't
sh**t him in the back.

Except for that,
nothing's changed.

If that's the case,
you're gonna be in trouble.

With you?

With me or anybody else
who cares about law and order.

I don't care how you thought
it looked to you.

I've known Jess Harper
for years.

That boy
wouldn't have drawn a g*n

unless he had
a good reason to.

And I'm telling you
just exactly the way
it happened.

Ask anybody who was there,
they'll tell you.

I've already heard
five different versions

of what happened
in the saloon.

Only it seems
that nobody saw it start.

Why don't we just drop it?

It's over and done with.

Over and done and with?

Your first night in town
as my deputy,

and you come within an inch
of having a shootout

with as good a friend
as I've got.

Your friend was the one
that drew, Corey, not me.

Just the same,
you shouldn't have gone in

that saloon with a .30-30
under your arm.

A man wouldn't do that unless
he was expecting trouble.

I want to know why.

When I was given this job,
I was told to prevent

some of the kind of shootings

that had been
going on around here.

I've already got
a pretty good idea

why you were sent here.

What's that got to do
with your carrying a .30-30?

Just this.

This is the best preventive
I know.

A man doesn't argue with it
if you leave him any way out.

Jess Harper was willing
to argue with it.

There wasn't
any real sh**ting.

Nobody was hurt.

I'll give you credit
for that.

But you might not be
so lucky the next time.

So from here on,

that Winchester
stays in the rack

and you'll carry
only a sidearm

just like any other lawman.

In that case,
you tell your friend Harper

something for me.

Such as?

To stay out of my way.

If he braces me again,
I'm gonna give him

exactly
what he's asking for.

Look, miss,
it's none of my business
if you wanna follow me,

but that don't mean
I have to talk to you.

Just because
my name's Halleck?

If I was gonna
hunt for reasons,

that would be
a good start.

You know, you don't
look like a k*ller.

Why are you working so hard
at trying to talk like one?

Why don't you
just go home?

Are you afraid
to talk about my father?

Is that it?

Do you know
what your father is?

Has anybody ever told you
what he's done?

Yes, he did.

What could he say?

What could he possibly say
to make it sound right?

The truth.

- I know the truth,
I lived it!
- So did he.

He lived
at Chancellorsville, Shiloh

and he was decorated
twice at Chickamauga.

And because
they couldn't remove

all the grapeshot
from his legs,

they put him in charge
of a prison camp.

Was he decorated
for that too?

Do you think it was easy
for him keeping other men,

brave men, in a cage?

I wouldn't know.

He was just as good as you,
even better, I think,

because what they
ordered him to do made him

just as much a prisoner
as any man there.

Was he told to starve
southerners to death?

Was he told
to sh**t men

who didn't have g*ns
to sh**t back

and then let them rot
and die of their wounds?

Was anyone shot
who wouldn't have been

if your army
hadn't held the g*ns?

Did anyone starve

because my father
had too much to eat?

Did anyone die

because he locked up
the medicine?

He gave everything
he had.

He had nothing.
They gave him nothing.

What more could he give,
freedom?

No, he couldn't do that
and you wouldn't have either.

For that, you wanna
k*ll him.

He gave everything he could
and now his life.

Howdy, Mort.

Morning.

What brings you out
so early in the day?

Jess.

You got trouble?

I thought
maybe you might tell me.

That should come from him,
don't you think?

You were there,
you could tell me.

I know what was said,
and I know what was done.

But I don't know
what goes on in his head.

I'd feel a lot better
if I knew just

how far
he'll go against Halleck.

I think
he'll get over it.

I'm hoping it's gone
as far as it will.

If it keeps on,
you know where it'll end.

Give him a chance
to think about it, Mort.

Let him boil things out
for himself.

He'll be all right.

I can't be that wrong
about him.

I don't want
either one of us to be.

Halleck wears a badge
and he wears it in my town.

Any man who challenges his,
challenges mine.

Any man.

Even Jess.

MIKE: Slim.

Don't you have some chores
to tend to?

Sure, I guess so.

Hey, Mike.

Come over here, Mike.

I'm sorry.

Don't pay
any attention to me.

I-- I've had my boot
in my mouth

ever since I woke up
this morning.

Well, I was just gonna
ask about Jess.

Doesn't he live here
anymore?

Sure, he does.

He's just staying in town
for a while.

Well, I don't understand.

Is it something I did
to make him leave?

No, it's nothing like that.

Then why'd he go?

Well, he felt
he had something

he had to do, I guess.

But he'll be back
one of these days soon.

What will you have,
Jess?

Nothing.

Mind if I sit down,
Jess?

Help yourself.

Just a few days ago,

you told me to take time
to think out of k*lling.

That everything would
look better the next day.

It did.

I tried it, Mort.

And?

No good.

I guess I'm only good
at giving advice.

Every time
I try to take it,

things get more
mixed up than ever.

He's a good lawman, Jess.

I think he's a good man
all the way through.

I wish
I could believe that.

I believe it.

You would too if you give
yourself a chance.

What about your job, Mort?

You think
you'll feel the same way

when he takes it?

Well, I don't know
how I'll feel then.

But I do know
that gunning a man

doesn't very often
settle anything.

Depends on the reason,
I guess.

I can't stop you
from trying it, Jess.

That's for you to decide.

But I can stop you
from k*lling him, and I will.

Whoa, you better take

something for your nerves,
captain.

[ chuckles ]

Yeah.

Oh, allow me, captain.

Bottle and two.

Yes, sir.

Hello, Jess,
have a drink.

You sure are pushing
for it, aren't you?

And you've got a sharp edge.
That's good.

It'll help
when the time comes.

If it comes.

Six years,
I've been waiting for it.

Six years of waiting
for the right time,

the right place.

Maybe this isn't it.

Oh, this is it,
all right.

The whole thing just like
I wanted it to be.

I knew he couldn't stay
buried forever.

Sometime he'd have to come
crawling out of his hole.

And I'd be waiting for him.

What about the town?

You think they're just gonna
let it happen?

Look around you.

Where are they?

Oh, they can smell it
in the air.

But they're not here.

It's not their fight,
they want no part of it.

Hello, Harper.

Hello.

I kinda made it my business
to keep track of things

so we could all get together
just one last time.

You got it all figured out,
haven't you?

You haven't forgotten
the pledge we made,
have you, Jess?

When none of us knew

whether we'd live or die
one more day?

Now it's his turn.

Knute.

Knute!

McDermott.

Harrison.

Harper.

Harper!

Not you!

Any of the rest of them maybe,
but not you.

Take a look at him.

No, take a good look at him!

Can you let it pass?

Can you let it go
when we're all here?

Let him go, Johnny.

That's supposed to be
Halleck's death warrant.

All in one piece again
and it'd be done!

Not one word
has he spoke in six years.

This is what he done!

And it'll be
on your head too!

Unless you keep your word.

Thanks, Daisy.

Mike still asleep?

Yes, I thought it best
not to wake him.

Yeah, I guess
you're right.

I don't understand
what this is about,

so I can't
explain it to him.

You worked in that
field hospital during the w*r.

You know how it is
when men get a knot of hate

so deep inside of 'em
that nothing can reach it.

Do you think that's the way
it is with Jess?

I think you know
better than that.

I wanted to be sure
you did.

But it's different
for Johnny Duncan and his kind.

Men who have been torn up
so badly by the w*r,

they'll never get well.

But that
still doesn't explain

why Jess sees it
the way they do.

It's hard to explain.

But for some crazy reason,
they're part of him.

Part of what he was
before he came here.

Isn't there something
you can do?

Daisy, I've talked
to him three times

in the last two days.

It's like talking
to that wall.

He's still your friend
even if he's wrong.

Be extra careful
how you use that.

I'm hoping I don't have
to use it at all.

[ knocking on door ]

Talking's done, Slim.

Not yet, it isn't.

What's left?

Just the wish that you'd
pull out of this

while you still can.

That wouldn't
change anything.

Not for Halleck anyway.

Mort Corey's liable to have
something to say about that.

And me too.

I figured that.

Is it too late to stop?

It's too late
to even try.

Why you, Jess?

After all these years
and then this.

A man doesn't change
that fast.

He can't.

Somewhere inside of him,
he's got to be the same.

He's got to know
when it's wrong.

It's because of Knute,
Slim.

When I went up against Halleck
that night in the saloon,

I knew I couldn't k*ll him.

I just wanted to forget it,
wipe it out of my mind.

Then I saw Knute.

He was just a kid, Slim.

Fifteen years old,
less maybe, full of life.

He couldn't fight,

he couldn't
really do anything good.

But he was my friend.

I can forgive Halleck
the graves,

and I can forgive him
the dead,

but I can't forgive him
the living.

And I can't
forgive him Knute.

I can't live
with it myself,

and I can't let him
live with it either.

I guess I'm willing
to die for that.

I hope you don't, Jess.

I hope we both don't.

This isn't your fight.

Good deputies
are hard to find.

Haven't you heard?

I mean it, Mort.

I don't want to insist
but that's the way it is.

Nobody insists
around this office,

unless maybe it's me.

That doesn't change
anything.

You don't know
what you're getting into,

you don't know
anything about me!

I know all I need to.

How is it?

Well, the street's
still quiet.

I don't know how long
it's gonna stay
that way, though.

Before this goes
any further,

there's something
you better know.

As long as it isn't
anything personal, go ahead.

I'm not the kinda lawman
you think.

The only reason
I put on the badge

in the first place
was for protection,

to buy time
to raise my daughter.

No crime against that.

The badge just isn't big enough
to hide behind though.

Yeah, if it were,
I'd have Mort send me out

a whole sackful
a long time ago.

You want to
worry about something,

come on, let's worry
about this town.

It's beginning to look like
it was hit by the plague.

Halleck just went up
to the jail a few minutes ago.

How many are there
with him?

Just two.

Town sure
has emptied out a lot.

Word kinda gets around.

Especially if you help it
out a little.

They're taking their time.

Yeah, nervous maybe.

And a little bit afraid
like we are.

There's just a chance

they might call
the whole thing off.

Not Johnny Duncan.

No, it's gone
too far for him.

He's got to k*ll me
or risk his neck trying.

Say, how does
Knute figure into this?

That's the part that's a little
hard to nail down.

Somehow Johnny
has convinced everybody

it was me who hurt his brother
so bad, he can't talk.

Well, I know
that's what Jess believes.

The truth is
something else.

There was a prison break
one night in the camp.

The Duncans were in on it.

Knute's job was to strangle
one of the guards.

- Only he couldn't go
through with it.
- So what happened?

When Johnny found out,
he must have gone half crazy.

He clubbed Knute
with a pick handle,

nearly k*lled him.

Afterwards he told everybody
it was me who had done it.

And Knute's letting him
get away with that?

The boy was laid up
a long time.

Maybe he never knew

it was Johnny
who had hit him.

Maybe he didn't
want to know.

I've never been able
to figure that part out.

Well, I guess
we're all ready.

McDermott, Harrison.

Well, let's get started.

Let go of him!

What's he trying to
tell me, Johnny?

He's trying
to tell you

he hasn't got
any stomach for this.

Just like in the w*r, needing
you to get him out alive.

All these years
I've taken care of him

weren't enough
for him now.

Now he wants to say
he's yellow.

Knute!

Let him go.

We'll do
his k*lling for him.

Let's go.

They're coming.

Jess with them?

Looks like.

You don't have to be
a part of this, Slim.

With Jess out there,
Mort,

I am a part of it.

Well, there's
just a chance.

If we all step outside,
they might back down.

Let's go.

Move it!

Get out of here!

I beat you good once,
coward.

This time I'll k*ll you!

[ g*nsh*t ]

[ g*nshots ]

Laramie can still use
a good deputy.

Well, thanks, but I didn't
outfit this wagon

for 1,000 miles
to settle for a shorter trip.

You still got your heart set
on going to Oregon, huh?

We both have.

Now you be sure and write
when you get there, huh?

That's a promise.

Bye, Jess.
Mort.

- Slim.
- So long.

Have a nice trip.
Bye.

I was kind of hoping
it would work out like this.

Yeah, me too

Oh, Mort, about hiring
that new deputy...

the folks in town
seem to think

they've got
all the sheriff they want.

- Oh?
- Yeah.

They got a petition

signed by everybody
in town that could write,

including the mayor.

Well, there sure
are a lot of names on here.

I don't know
what to say, except...

Except what?

Seems to me there's
a couple of names missing.

Oh, if you mean
Jess and me,

we thought it
would be kind of--

Well, never mind
what you thought.

Sign.

Right here.

I may be
replaced someday.

It's not going to be
by either one of you.