01x03 - Throw a Long Rope

[bunniefuu]

This is Fairfax County
in the State of Virginia.

I was born here.

It's peaceful, beautiful,

and a long, long way
from Wyoming--

beautiful, too,
in its special way--

vast, proud and lonely.

It's my country now--
Wyoming--

but not exactly
a peaceful one.

It had happened before,
in New Mexico,

where over 100 men
were k*lled in 1878;

in Montana,
where scores more died
only a few years later;

and now it was happening
in Wyoming--

range w*r.

The stakes were always
the same--cattle and land.

And the opponents
were the same--

big ranchers versus farmers
seeking open range

to settle on
under the Homestead Act.

The cattle
man who came first

and carved his vast rangeland
out of the wilderness

saw himself
facing destruction

as the homesteaders
settled on his range,

fencing him off from
the grass and the water.

The homesteader had
many names in the West--

squatter, nester,

and sometimes, with truth,
rustler.

The cattlemen struck back,
fast and hard.

**

What are you doin'
here, Nicky?

Mom?

Mom!

Mom, what happened?
What's the matter?

Oh--

They--

Oh, Homer.

Ma, where's Pa?

Ma, what happened?

Homer!

Hey!

Hey, hold up there!

Homer?

What do you think
you're doing?
That's our cow.

I know it is, son.

It's got our brand on her.
Can't you read it?

What have you done
with my pa

Where's my pa?

Have you done
anything to him?

What's goin' on?

Tell me!

Why don't you go look
after your mother, son?

Your pa would want that.

**

Ma? Ma, that was
Judge Garth's foreman.

What are they
doin' to Pa?

I'm no thief.

That's the last time
I'm gonna say it.

You're murderers.

Every last one of you--
murderers.

You say
that cow of yours
over there is the mother?

She was a good mile
from the calf
we caught you with.

I told you before--

she was spooked
by a prairie wolf.

Didn't spook my cow
fifty yard away--

her bag bursting
with milk,

looking around for a calf
bawling her head off!

You've said enough, Major.
Let's get on with it.

Both cows are here.
Now let's make the test.

All right, Tatum.

The calf will decide
who he belongs to.

**

Help me!
Help me, Steve! Grab him!

Oh, my leg!

Pa!

Oh...Homer.

Pa. Pa,
I thought they'd--

It's all right, son.
It's all right.

You had your fun...
now get off my land!

Here, let me help you.

I don't need your help!

Oh!

Pa! What's
the matter, Pa?

It's my leg.

Go on.
Can you make it?

I'll be all right.

Easy. Easy, son.

Go to the driver.

His leg's broke!

Oh, thank God.

Thank God.

Ohh!
Let me.

Keep your hands
off him!

Take the g*n, son.

He's cold.
You got a blanket?

He could do with
a drink of whiskey, too.

I'll fetch it.

The rope
burned him a little.

That's it. Looks like
a bad break here

just above the ankle.

The doctor ought to set it
before it swells up.

Mrs. Tatum...

I don't know what to say.

I've tried
from the day this started

to find charity in my heart
for all of you.

I'm afraid it's more
the Lord's given me
strength to do.

You've hounded us,
called us thieves,

and you've next to
k*ll my husband

almost before my eyes.

There's no forgiveness
left in me.

I'll send the doctor over.

Hello, Judge.

How is he?

His leg's bad.
Get Doc Spence.

I'll give you 100 to one
he's got his mark on
40 of my mavericks.

If we hadn't got cute,
we'd had him hanged.

Too bad, Major.

Now we got nothin'
to celebrate.

He'll try it again.

**

* ...by your outfit

* That you are a cowboy

* These words he did say

* As I boldly stepped by

* Come sit down beside

* And here my sad story

* I was shot in the breast

* And I know I must die

How many?

How many?

Oh.

Three, I guess.

I'll take
three, too.

Mickey, do you have to
play that song?

Don't let him
talk you out of it, Mickey.

It's the only song
for this kind of an occasion.

Evening, gentlemen.

You all had a big day.

Must be tired.

Quiet around here.

You're a couple days
overdue, aren't you?

You know,
come to think of it, I am.

That's funny.
A man can kind of
lose track of time

up there
in the high country.

Who was she this time,
Trampas?

What would you mean
by that?

Did you get down
to check the calf crop

while you were
up there?

Skimpy.

Seems all the cows have
lost interest in romance.

Heh. And nester cows
all got triplets.

Biggest calf crop
in nester history. Heh.

You know what I think?

I think it's what
they put in the water.

Lydia E. Pinkham--
that's what.

Well, ask Jubal Tatum.

You don't want to let
that little go-around
today get to you.

It's been comin'
for a long time now.

Why, it was
just like Montana.

What do you know about
what happened in Montana?

Ran into a stock detective
up in the high country.

The Swede?

Swede. Bunked with him
first night out
up in the line shack.

Was he running with
the cattlemen or the nesters
up there in Montana?

Nesters don't have
money enough to afford
stock detectives.

But he said
a man would think

it was the Indian wars
all over again.

Burned out cabins, barns,

hound dog lyin' in a corral
with a b*llet through one eye,

mules stiff-legged,
burned to a frazzle...

buzzards all over, rabid.

The stink of death.

The Swede say he thought
it was gonna get
close to that here?

He didn't say one word
about here.

What was he doin'
up on the saddle anyway?

Russet huntin', I expect.
What else?

Did you find any cut fence
or damped out fires
while you were up there?

Some. How's Jubal?

Busted leg.

Why'd you let him off?

He was branding
his own calf.

Now, there's
a coincidence for you.

Why, do you think
he throws a long rope?

If he don't, he's loco.

If I was Jubal Tatum,
and a maverick turned up
on my range,

I wouldn't leave it up to
Swede Torgerson to tell me
who it belonged to.

I'd have that maverick
marked and thrown before
he knew what hit him.

I wouldn't talk that way
around the Judge
if I were you.

Wouldn't surprise him none.

He threw the long rope
in his time.

Trampas, why don't you
go put your head
in that basin

and leave it underwater
for a while?

Oh, I ain't faultin'
the Judge, boss man.

But you know
as well as I do

the great-grandmammy of
most of these cows here, boss,

is somebody's maverick
poppin' brush down in Texas.

Until some smart boy
like Henry Garth came along,
swingin' his loop.

Well, you just keep
talkin' like that, Trampas.

You're gonna
find yourself elected
president of the grange.

I just might take it, too.

That's it. If somebody
staked me to a filing fee,

show me a stretch
of good grade,

hand me a long rope
with a wide loop in it,

I'd be in business tomorrow.

And that rope
just might turn into
a g*n tomorrow.

That's all right, too.

Well, they can't both
be right, Trampas.

There ain't no right
or wrong...

as long as the money
keeps comin' in.

Deal me out, boys.

He'll get over it.

How are you coming
with the sampler?

Not very well.

Did you do your homework?

Tomorrow's Saturday.

Betsy--
I don't understand.

I know Mrs. Tatum
and Homer.

I've ridden into school
with Homer.

He's a nice boy.

And your friends
almost hanged his father.

Would you excuse me,
Daddy?

Where you goin'?
I'm tired.

**

Good night.

Mrs. Tatum, good morning.

How's your husband?

I'd like to talk to you.

Nothing for you to say.

You might let me try.

Why don't you just go off
and leave us alone?

Pretty big ax
for a boy your size.

Bigger than I could
heft at your age,
I'll tell you that.

A lot of man
in you already.
How old are you, Homer?

Comin' on 13.

Showed some sand
yesterday,

cuttin' loose
with a Winchester
on 20 armed men.

That took some doin'.

I should've
took time to aim.

Maybe it's just as well
you didn't.

Next time.
Next time I will, mister.

You remember that.

You don't want to feel
that way about it.

I thought we might
talk it over, man to man.

I wish I was a man.

Come in.

Mornin', Judge.
Good mornin'.

I was looking over
the bill for the fencing.

Trampas get back?
Last night.

Did he find
any cut fence?

Two or three places.

Did he run a tally
on the calves?

Just rough. He said
the crop looks skimpy.

Estimate way off, huh?

Hard winter.
Not that hard.

Put out a tally on it
next week.

Yes, sir.

"Sir"? Aren't we
a little formal?

Come inside. Have a cup
of coffee with me.

Morning.
Morning.

Morning?
Is that all I get?

No smile from the woman
I'm gonna marry?

Sit down, help yourself.
Thank you.

It's no better than
the bunkhouse coffee,

but it's in a prettier pot.

So, how's the grass
upstairs?

I'll be belly-deep
in another month.

Good.

You're not eating.

I'm not hungry.

All right. Go ahead.

Hard to explain
what happened yesterday

to a 15-year-old girl.

Ah. I expect you'll
want us to ride up
some creek today

and lay out those
temporary corrals
for the roundup.

You come across
any cut fence, I'd like
to hear about it.

Any branding fires,
tracks of shod horses.

And find out what happened
to 7% of my spring calves.

I figure I'll leave that
to Swede Torgerson.

That's what
you pay me to do.

What are you tellin' me?

Did some thinking about
what happened yesterday.

Decided I don't want
any more of it, that's all.

Maybe we won't
have a choice.
You think about that?

Yeah, I thought about it.

Yesterday that man
was innocent.

It was fortunate
for us all.

But there are others
that are guilty.

When you're attacked,
you hold your ground
or you quit.

I don't quit.

I'll see to those
corrals, Judge.

**

Doc Spence?

How's Jubal Tatum's leg?

Might as well
have hanged him.

Two weeks
out of commission,
and he's already through.

Why do you say
he's through?

Maybe you've got a way

to keep a half-section going
on a pair of crutches.

I couldn't tell him how.
Can't he hire a man?

He didn't have enough
money to hire me.

He'll be walking
by harvest time...

if there's anything
to harvest.

Now, if you don't mind,

I'd like to get back
to my practice.

**

Come in.

You come here
to address the meeting?

No, just you.

Anything you got
to say to me,

you can say
to my friends here.

Come to apologize,
is that it?

That's part of it.

Judge Garth sends
his apologies. That's fine.

We've been holding
our breath waiting to hear.

Skelly--
Let me finish.

You tell this
to Judge Garth...

and Cass and Torgerson
and the rest of them.

You pushed us as far
as we're going to be pushed.

We're not moving
another inch.

You made a big mistake when
you tried to hang Jubal.

We're fightin' together now,

and we won't quit till
we run you out of Wyoming.

I didn't come here
to speak for Judge Garth...

just for myself.

Anything you need
while you're laid up,

just call on me.

That's all.

We'll take care of him
when the time comes.

Don't you worry
about that.

Don't go making a hero
out of me, Skelly.

I just had a run
of bad luck, that's all.

I meant what I said
to that man.

We are fighting together
now, thanks to you.

There wasn't no Christianity
till there was a crucifixion.

What does that mean?

You'll see.
We'll leave you now,

let you get some rest.

Let's go.

**

What are they tryin'
to make out of me?

**

Well, looks like
the workin' committee's
out in force today.

What'd you expect?

A little less impertinence
from you, for one thing.

Morning.
Good morning.

How's your leg?

I'll manage.

How are you doing with
the chores out there?

I got my wife and boy.
That's all I need.

That offer of mine
still holds, you know.

* Mine eyes have seen
the glory *

* Of the coming
of the Lord *

* He is trampling
out the vintage *

* Where the grapes of wrath
are stored *

* He hath loosed
the fateful lightning *

* Of His terrible
swift sword *

* His truth
is marching on *

* Glory, glory, hallelujah

* Glory, glory, hallelujah

* Glory, glory, hallelujah

* His truth is marching on

* I have seen him
in the watch fires *

* Of a hundred
circling camps *

* They have builded Him
an altar *

* In the evening dews
and damps *

* I can read
His righteous sentence *

* By the dim
and flaring lamps *

* His day is marching on *

* Glory, glory, hallelujah

* Glory, glory, hallelujah

* Glory, glory, hallelujah

* His truth is marching on

**

Jubal!

Jubal!
I'm all right.

Here, let me help.

I can get up
by myself!

Listen, you can't be
running out here
every five minutes.

Pa, did you
hurt yourself?

I'm fine.

You go on back
to your cultivating.

Those weeds are growing
faster than you are.

All right,
give me that.

You can't do it!
There's no use in you trying!

Let me decide that.

Give me a chance to learn.

I'll have these holes
dug before dark.

Melissa!

Oh, a woman's such
a useless kind of thing!

I wouldn't have dared
say that, but...

since you mentioned it,
why...

Now, look,
I got to get this be--

This is still my land.
I know it.

Go on back to work, son.

Wait a minute, Homer.
Go tend to that calf.

She's gonna bust
if somebody doesn't
milk her directly.

What do you think
you're doing?

You go on up that porch

and sit yourself down
in a rocking chair
and keep your mouth shut.

I'll let you know
when I want your advice.

Go on, Homer, scoot!

**

Now, you go on inside,
where your work is,
where you belong.

Whoa!

I'm gonna hedge
the team now, Homer.

Put the ditch in,
let the water on the field.

It's awful dry.

Pa says supper's
on the table.

I--I quit now,
we're all through.

Nobody's quittin'.

Sometimes it's better to quit
than try and hang on.

Except I know all there is
to know about quittin'.

Jubal.

Don't try and hide it.
I've quit a lot of times.

Once broke with a feed store
in Getty, Illinois.

Got chewed up
by a locust plague in Utah.

Tried chicken ranching
in California--

failed at that, too.

A man's luck can't
stay bad forever.

Yeah, that's what I figured
when I came here.

Swore I'd make it.

It's a good piece
of farmland here.

Plenty of water,
open range to run
my beef.

Now this.

Well, you aren't
licked yet.

I can't afford
to be licked.

I'm the patron saint
of Cottonwood Creek.

Glory, hallelujah.

I bet this is
the first time
an accused cow thief

has ever been elected
head of a crusade.

That cow thief talk
is just an excuse
to run us out,

and you know it.

Your own man said as much.

Who's that?

That Mr. Torgerson.

Swede?
When was he here?

Oh, about two weeks ago.

Checked every brand
on our herd,

every earmark.

Couldn't find a thing.

Where'd he go
when he left?

I don't know.
He had a packhorse.

Up in the high country,
I guess.

**

w*r counsel.

Major Cass and some of
the other ranchers.

There's blood on the moon,
boss man.

Hmm?

Come in, come in.

Sit down.
I want to talk to you.

Brandy?
Thank you.

Help yourself.

Something is
worrying you.

Yes. You, Judge.

I never seen you
this way before--

going along with
a man like Cass,

keeping your own counsel,
not stepping up

and twisting his neck
with what's right
and what's wrong.

I don't understand it.

Well, there's a train...

comin' around the bend
right now.

Not a little branch line,

but a fire-eating
son of a g*n

with a belly full of coal

and a full head of steam,

and it's going to smash
those thieves

for good and all,
right now.

That's why
we had this meeting.

I saw 'em ridin' away.

Every rancher
in the valley...

talking army talk,

campaign talk.

Supply wagons, logistics,

battle plans...

extermination.

Talk that'll make
the Montana w*r

look like Aunt Dinah's
quilting party.

Tally sheets, numbers.

South Pasture, Sunk Creek,
Hannigan Flat.

I wonder if you know
what these numbers
mean to me.

I came here
with almost nothing.

$100, a Winchester,

and wind-broke horse,
that's all.

I fought Arapahos
and Cheyennes.

Blizzards, Texas fever.

I cleared land,
trapped varmints.

I built my first house
on this spot

with two hands
and a dull ax.

Nearly starved to death
for two winters running.

Nothing to eat but...

snowshoe rabbit,
chicken mash.

Got snakebit.
Lived through that, too.

I fought it out,
and I won.

Now I've got
these numbers.

15,000 head
on open range.

Last year,
thieves took 7%.

This year, maybe 10.

28 homesteads
by the river

in the last six months.

With preemptions
and tree claims,
that's...maybe 26.

And before you know it,
we're cut off from
the water.

Jubal Tatum
multiplied by 1,000

is an army...
marching down on me,

and I have no choice
but to fight back!

That's what I wanted
to tell you.

Drink your brandy.

There's got to be
another way.

Name one.

Cass' way is m*rder,
slaughter.

That's not you, Judge,
the way you believe.

It's the law
of the range,

to the letter.

Want me to show you
the section, the paragraph?

Codicil "A" to "J".

Then the law
legalizes m*rder.

Nowhere in those books

will you find the term
"legalized m*rder".

But you will find
the term

"legalized and
instantaneous execution

to be administered to
horse and cattle thieves."

I'm checkin' a cut fence,

when I got a feeling
somebody's behind me.

I turn around,
and there was the Swede.

I don't know
how he got there.

A stock detective will do
a trick like that sometimes

just to be funny.

Said nothing about
what he was up to, huh?

Never does.
You know the Swede.

What was he carryin'
on his packhorse?

I don't know.
Grub mostly.

How much?

Look, boss man,
how the--

Two days
Two weeks

Maybe two weeks.

Like a base up there now.
Wonder why.

How do I know why?

Well, you bunked with him
in the line shack.

You had a lot of time
to sit around talkin',
didn't you?

Not a lot.
He was tired.

He went to sleep
right after supper.

Horse throwed
his shoe on him.

It was lame.
He made the rest of
the stretch afoot.

I don't know why
you're frettin' yourself
about Swede.

He ain't gonna
change anything.

Gone too far for that.

You see a cyclone comin',
the sensible thing is--

Sup up and go into town.

That's the sensible
thing to do.

**

It's been a while
since you ate, ain't it?

Where's your mommy?

What do you want?

Thought Swede Torgerson
was bunkin' here.

I got some business
with him.

Man get himself shot
that way.

Since it's
my own line shack,

I didn't figure
I couldn't go in.

You from Shallow Ranch?
Foreman.

Oh. The Virginian.

Must've rode all night.

I did.

Figured nobody's mind
if I used his shack

while I run my traps
along the creek.

You want some breakfast?

No time.
What about the Swede?

He was here
about two weeks ago

when I first come by.
Took out the next morning.

Did he say where
he was going?

Yeah. Horse was lamed up.
Had to have him shot.

You'd better have
some breakfast.

You rode all night.
You need it.

He say he was gonna
have his horse shot?

Yeah. He took off
down the east side
towards Powder River.

That's when I moved in.

Is there a horseshoer
down at Benteen,
do you know?

I believe so.

If Torgerson comes by,

you tell him to get down
to Shiloh home ranch
and spur all the way.

You got that?

Trouble?

Plenty.

**

Long ride
on an empty belly.

Thanks.

**

What do you want?

Horse throwed a shoe.
Can you put one on for me?

How quick
do you want it?

Right away.

All right.

The off forefoot.

Whoa.

Ain't walked far
since he throwed it.

Hoof ain't worn.

Well, he was favorin' it.

Won't have to trim it.

I'll have the new one on
in ten minutes.

Fine.

From Texas, huh?
And the drift?

Split it
with my partner.

Lookin' around for
a place to lie.

He might've been
through here.

They call him
the Swede.

Talk with an accent?
That's right.

Thick-set, about 40,
ride a clayback gelding?

That's him.
He been through here?

About two weeks ago.

But his horse
was lamed up, too.

That so?

Took off
up Alder Creek somewhere.

That so?

Be a dollar.

Much obliged.

**

Swede!

Swede Torgerson!

Why?

The only opposition
we've got is right here
in this county.

Outside of that,
they're with us to a man.

Cheyenne Tribune,
day before yesterday.

"Wipe them out.

"All honest citizens
are in the hopes

the cattlemen will
exterminate the rustlers."

They'll join ranks
all the way from here
to Washington, D.C.

the minute we move.

They respect you.

You go along,
there won't be a voice
raised against us.

In a military campaign,

you wait an hour
past your time,
you might get licked.

Where you been?

Powder River.

What's the Swede say?

Been dead
around two weeks.

I got what's left of him
outside.

Shot?
That's right.

You better tell
that army outside
to go home, Major Cass.

Bushwhackin' the homesteaders
ain't gonna fix anything.

This is no bushwhacking
operation.

The trouble's on
the other side of the hill.

Rustler g*ng workin'
wholesale out of Benteen.

30 or 40 heads
still in the corral
when I got there.

Are you trying to say
that we don't know--

You asked me what happened
to 7% of your cattle,

and I'm tellin' you.

You read
the Swede's report.

He changed his mind
about that.

You mean Tatum
says he did!

How long are you gonna
let this strutting Napoleon

trade on your name?!

When all he's after
is glory!

Why don't you admit it,
Major Cass?

You ran out of wars since
the Wounded Knee fight.

No more Indians to slaughter,
no more cavalry charges,

no more wars,
so you gotta make one!

You shut
your insolent mouth.

I'm sorry to see
a good man broke, Judge.

That's what's gonna
happen to you now--
you're gonna break

because you won't bend.

Arapahos had to bend
when you came here
or get broke.

And now with
the nesters comin',
you'll have to bend, too.

You can't fight it
with g*ns or with lynchings

or hangings or barn-burnings
or anything else.

It's comin', and you're
gonna have to bend with it,

whether it's right, wrong,
black, white,

or somethin' in between.

I'm sorry, Judge.

**

How much more time
do you want to think?

Where you goin'
with the arsenal?

You, uh--you ain't
gonna do nothin' silly,
now, are you?

A man's got a wild streak
inside him,

it'll come out
sooner or later.

Oh, wait a minute.
We can--

Where I'm goin'
is none of your business.

You ain't gonna hole up
with Jubal Tatum.

You do that,
you're gonna get
yourself k*lled.

Maybe not.

You're gonna die
with a cow thief?

Who says he's a cow thief?

Well, the Swede said.

The Swede cleared him,
and Cass is a lunatic.

But whether Jubal's
innocent or guilty

has got nothin'
to do with it.

Cass' methods
are still wrong.

It isn't only Jubal.

It's a whole--
a whole prairie fire,

and you're downwind.
Can't you see that?

You'd better get on outside
with the others.

You'll be called to colors
any minute now.

Will you wait a minute?

Don't look at me.

I'm not gonna get
my hide nailed to
Jubal Tatum's barn.

No, sir.

**

Come here.

Can I talk to you?
Sure.

So, he saw some cattle
up at Benteen.

Our cattle--
I'm sure of that.

But you know
as well as I do

how the cattle
got up to Benteen.

The nesters took them there.

You got
Swede Torgerson's report.
He said it was the nesters,

and the rest of
the stock detectives
said the same thing.

The only thing this information
on Benteen tells us

is where the nesters
are taking some of our cattle.

It doesn't change the fact
that they stole them
in the first place.

Are you with us, Judge?

You know how much
everyone wants you.

But we can't wait
any longer.

Major, I agree
with everything
you're trying to do.

This cattle thieving
has to be stopped,

or it'll destroy every
rancher in the valley.

But I don't like the way
you're going about it.

But we have
no other choice!

You're talking army talk,

campaign talk,
logistics, battle plans.

You want to stop
the cattle thieving

or exterminate these people?
Which is it?

I don't want to
exterminate anyone.

That's just the reason
why I've organized the men
like an army,

why I've planned this thing
like a campaign.

I want those nesters
to be faced with such odds

that they won't even think
of fighting back.

Believe me, Judge,

I saw enough bloodshed
in my army career

to last me forever.

There's only one thing
I want to do--

that's to stop the rustling.

And to do that,

we have to clear this valley
of those nesters.

We'll handle them
one at a time.

We'll give them
every opportunity
to leave the valley

on the condition
that they don't return.

With odds of 100 to one
against them,

I'm betting that's
just what they'll do.

No. Some of them
won't leave.

They're human beings.
They put blood and sweat

into these miserable
little homesteads.

They'll fight.

This can turn
into a bloodier w*r
than Montana.

I hope not.

I hope you're wrong.

But if that's what happens,

then it's nothing
we decided.

If we give them
a chance to leave

and they choose
to stay and fight,

they also choose to face
the consequences.

It won't be
on our conscience.

I'm afraid
it would be on mine.

Judge, either
we drive them out now
or they drive us out.

What else can we do?

I don't know.

Maybe the answer is...

to bend.

That's no answer for me.

All right,
we won't count on you.

It's too late to change
the plan of action.

The men
are meeting here,

and neither you or I
can do anything
to change that now.

**

Jubal, it's me!

What do you want?

Where's Melissa
and the boy?

They're in town
with friends.
What do you want?

I figured you could use
a handyman.

I don't need a handyman.

Well,
you got one anyway.

Who else you got
inside there?

Nobody.

You're fixin'
to fight it out alone?

I told Skelly I wouldn't
have it any other way.

I got my reasons.

And that goes for you, too.

I don't need your help.

You go on down with Skelly.
He's next on that list.

You're a hard man
to figure, Jubal.

I see you've been
workin'.

They'll fire
the house first.

No way you can stop that.

You'd better
write yours, too.

I don't have
much to leave.

You're dead set
on staying?

That's a way
of putting it.

**

Well, I expect
I'd better get this set
while there's still time.

I'm...proud
to call you my friend.

You'd better get ready.

Hey, mount up!

Now, men...

before we go, I want you
to clearly understand why.

This valley, this town
is in the hands of thieves,

outlaws, K*llers.

There's only one way out,
and we're gonna take it!

Got half a bottle
of whiskey left.

Better save it.
We might need it later.

Maybe that's why I'm
pestering you to leave.

Maybe I want it
all to myself.
You ever think of that?

Anybody ever tell you
you are loco?

Several have, yeah.

You won't make
a nickel's worth
of difference, you know.

Two's no better than one
if they fire the house.

You don't owe me a thing.

Everything you did
has been long since
paid for.

That don't have too much
to do with it, Jubal.

What do you mean?

If I gotta spell it out
for you, you'll never know.

Spell it out.

There's a wrong,
you fight it.

If you don't,
you become part of it.

That ain't so hard
to understand, is it?

You better check and see
if they're comin'.

Ah, we don't have to
worry about that.

The dog will let us know
when they get here.

Well, here's to nothin'.

And there's a b*mb
underneath us.

A b*mb.

The fuse
is burning down close,

and it's getting closer.

If we let it blow, there's
gonna be nobody left here.

You can't stomp it out.

You can't sit idly by

in the hopes it'll be a nice,
quiet little expl*si*n

where nobody gets hurt.

You can't make peace
with a b*mb.

You've got to grab it,

you've got to rip it out
and destroy it!

Now, either you rip out
every last one

of these miserable
maverickin' cow thieves

from one end of the valley
to the other,

or you die!

**

**

Always liked whiskey
better than I should.

Had to hold back
considerable.

Now there's no reason
to hold back,

and I only got
a half a bottle
in the house. Heh.

That's the way
my luck goes.

Why do you suppose
things go so right
for some people,

wrong for others?

You reckon
it's in the stars?

I don't know.

Tough on a woman.
What's that?

Oh, bettin' on a loser.

15 years of it.

Illinois, Utah,
California...

now here.

Heh. Sweat, hard work,

hunger sometimes,

and movin' on
with high hopes,

more sweat,
and less money in the bank.

It's hard enough
on a single man, but...

when you got a woman
and boy lookin' up to you
for everything...

it ain't easy to fail.

A lot of people think
it is, but...it ain't.

You sure
you don't want some?

No, that's all right.
Go ahead.

You know,
when I first came here,

I swore to God Almighty
I'd die before I failed again.

One night
out in the pasture

I got down on my knees
and I swore it.

Things went pretty good
for a while, too.

Had a good calf crop
that first year.

And the second winter,
the blizzard hit us, and...

come spring,
I found my whole herd
under ten feet of snow.

Nothin' left. Hmm.

Losin' again.

Well, this is
the last of it.

You, me, and...

the army of vengeance.

It's no good
chewin' on it, Jubal.

You don't want to fight
alongside a loser, too,
do you?

I don't want to fight
alongside a quitter.

I ain't a quitter.

I'm gonna fight here,
and I'm gonna die.

There's nothin' else
for me to do.

I'm elected martyr.

I didn't ask for it,
but I got it.

I'd have been better off
if you'd let them hang me.

I don't follow you.

Get out of here
while there's still time.

Sorry, Jubal.
I'm here to stay.

You should've let them
hang me, mister,

because that
would've been right.

You want
a first

All right,
I'll give you one.

This'll get you
out of here.

Blotching irons,
running irons,

hot wires
for changing marks,

hair knives.

I told you I swore
I wouldn't lose again.

I was at Alder Creek with
50 head of Judge Garth's
best steers

when Torgerson
caught me dead to rights.

That's just my luck.

I make off with
200 head of cattle,

and I get caught
branding my own calf.

If it hadn't have been
for that calf, I--

Look, I don't want
my wife or boy to know.

Or the rest of them
along the creek.

They'll brand a maverick
now and then,

but ain't none of them
rustlers.

All I can do now is die.

It'd be the only clean thing
I did in 43 years of livin'.

Now, you want to help me?
Leave me here alone.

Let me finish
that bottle of whiskey
by myself.

Go on out the back door.
There's still time.

Look, Major Cass was right.

You can't stay here
and get yourself k*lled--

Well, I can't turn
my back on you, either.

If I walk out on you now,
it'll be open season

on 28 families between here
and the head of the creek.

If I tell the truth,
Cass will tar every one of you
with the same brush.

They don't have
much chance now.

If this comes out,
they won't have any.

You want to send me
to hell with two men
on my conscience?

No. Four.

**

Climb right back up
and keep ridin'.

That ain't
very hospitable.

I mean it!
This isn't your dough,
and it's all mine.

Not only
not hospitable.
It's downright mean.

Hardly worth
gettin' shot up for.

Go on.
Hyah!

You walked away
from us, boss man.
The power's gone.

You're just
a miserable human
like the rest of us.

I gave you both an order.

It's not that we're
gonna disobey that order.

It's just that we're
not gonna obey it.

If I get myself
k*lled today,
I'll never forgive you.

Think, now.
It's important.

I want to know
exactly what he said.

He's gonna
stand by Mr. Tatum
right through to the end.

He said that to Steve?

Yes, Daddy, that's
exactly what he said.

**

Well, looks like
the odds are about even.

When I give the order,
put the torch to that wagon.

Tatum!

I'm ordering you to leave
this valley!

You have 30 seconds
to get started!

I'll guarantee your safety!

Don't think you can fight us!

There are too many of us,

and we'll start
by burning you out!

You go out there
with your hands up,
they may let you live.

Jubal.

You're gonna
stay here while
they fire the house?

Jubal, shut up.

I don't know what
they're doing.

Trampas, Steve,
listen to me. I--

Jubal, I said shut up,
and I meant it!

**

All right, spread out
along this line!

Bring the wagon down here!

All right, men! Dismount!

Turn that team to the rear.

You see the Judge?

No.

Stay behind.

I'll give you ten seconds
to come out...

or we'll burn you out!

One, two, three...

four, five...

six, seven...

eight, nine...

ten!

All right,
fire the wagon!

Get ready to push her down
on my command.

Hold it.

You're no longer
in command here, Major.

The campaign is over,
gentlemen.

Put up your g*ns,
return to your ranches.

Now, you listen to me,
all of you!

I'm in command here!
Now, you listen to me!

I said,
put up your g*ns!

You're gonna start this w*r,
you'll have to k*ll me first.

You'll take orders
from me!

You understand that?

My mistake was
in letting it go this far

without talking up sooner.

I'm admitting it now
to all of you.

All of you
listen to me!

We've got a job to do,
and there's only one way
to do it!

It's them or us!

Them or us!

Are you gonna
stand there and take it?

You gonna give every
sodbuster in this valley

the license to steal?!

No matter what that man
inside has done,

what we're doing is wrong!

Now, I know you.
I know all of you.

I've prospered with you,

shared your failures
with you.

I've got the right...

to keep you from doing
something you'll regret!

This isn't the way!

No,
there's no other way!

And you're a fool
if you listen to him!

All you men
who are on my side,

line up over here!

You stop it!
That's an order!

Does not one of you
knows what's good for you--
what you're doing?

All I ask is
what's good for you!

McKeever! Brent!
Harrigan!

You cutthroats!
What's the matter?

You afraid to come in
and get me!

**

No. Ohh...easy.

I didn't--

I didn't fail
this time, did I?

No, you didn't, Jubal.

You won.

You won big.

Where's his family?

In town with
some friends of his.

The McClintocks.

I'll take care of 'em.