Posse from Hell (1961) Movie Script
Wait a minute.
Whiskey.
What is this?
Oh!
All right.
Come on, Spot.
It's all right, boy.
Marshal.
Come out of there.
What's this town?
What?
Its name.
Paradise.
Well, there ain't
no more law in Paradise.
Get out of the light.
It's Marshal Webb.
- How bad is he?
Oh, Lord.
He's almost blown in half.
Somebody get a blanket
to wrap him in!
It's Webb. Some filthy...
Get over here.
Hey, you.
I want you to go
to that door,
and you tell them
that he knows somethin'.
Hey!
Don't go out.
Joe knows somethin'.
Joe knows somethin'!
You heard what he said.
Joe knows something about it.
Joe, did you...
What's going on here?
You saw what they did to Webb.
There's only four of 'em.
- Shut up!
- We can take 'em!
Will anybody back me up...
You'll never get away with it!
There are armed men outside!
Mister,
we own this town.
Helen, stay here.
Uncle Billy's in there!
Well, look what
we got here, Crip.
What can we do for you,
sweetie?
My Uncle Billy.
He can't do anybody any good.
Tell me, honey,
won't I do instead?
Inside there.
Helen?
Olly, don't come any closer.
Stay away!
Just do what they want!
Who owns the bank
down the street?
Well,
he works in it.
You got a key?
In the Rosebud.
There's 30 armed men out here.
You got one minute
to throw down your guns and come out.
Married?
No.
- You?
- Yes.
- Family?
- Yes, I have.
You go on down there
and stand in the door.
I want you
to tell 'em somethin'.
Everybody listen!
Please, listen.
You tell 'em
I got 10 of you in here,
and if they start shootin',
I'm gonna kill 'em right off.
He's got 10 of us in here.
If you start any shooting,
he's gonna kill all of us!
At once.
And you tell them...
that if they don't
do what I say,
I'm gonna kill one
every five minutes.
If you don't do as he says,
he'll kill one of us
every five minutes.
Tell him he's crazy.
I mean it!
Do what he says! Please!
Please, do what he says!
Here now, let me
help you down, Jackie.
No, Ma, I'm too heavy.
Just guide my foot.
All right,
but be careful.
I can get down by myself, Ma.
Oh!
Boy.
That was a close one.
Be careful, Jackie.
But Doc says my eyes
will be okay.
Well, they won't
if you keep jumpin' around.
Thank you, mister.
Cole.
Thanks for catchin' me, mister.
Webb?
- You Cole?
- That's right.
I'm Benson.
Been waitin' for you.
Four men broke out of
the death cell over at Sedalia.
They robbed the bank here.
Took a girl with them when they rode off.
They killed four men here
last night.
Where's Webb?
They shot him too.
Come with me.
Mike.
Take Mr. Cole's horse here
over to the livery stable.
Have Henry take care of it.
What's he doin' in here?
First they thought he was dead.
He's too weak to be moved now.
I don't know how
he's held on this long.
Can he talk?
Afraid not.
I can.
You shouldn't.
What do you think
I've held off dying for?
I really got you
in a fix.
Got yourself
in a worse fix.
I told these people...
you were coming here
to be my deputy.
Well, you... you can't
blame me for trying.
Look, you're talking too much.
You rest up a while.
I'll see you later.
Oh, Banner,
don't go after them alone.
This time do it my way.
My breast pocket.
For once,
do something right.
Not out of hatin',
but out of likin'.
Anything I do
will be out of liking you.
No.
I mean this town.
People.
They're good people, Banner,
and they've been hurt.
Th-They've got a right
to help you.
Webb?
I... I didn't mean
to leave you...
in such a fix.
Mr. Hart, I just talked to Ma and Pa.
Yeah?
There's no point in getting any ice. We'll just
bury Burl soon as you get the box made up.
Being it's your brother,
I guess you'll want it in oak.
Birch or pine'll do.
I'll even things for Burl
without paying a lot for a coffin.
I'm sorry.
He thought a lot of you.
Which way'd
they head out of here?
North.
Wait.
Aren't you gonna talk to the men?
They've been waiting for you.
What for?
- To form a posse. You're in charge now.
If you're figuring on
carrying that badge he gave you,
you oughta go
with a posse.
That's what Webb wanted.
All right.
If they want to ride along,
I won't stop 'em.
Look, we got
plenty of men to go.
Now, who can we get to head her up?
How about Captain Brown?
Well, naturally I'll put my military
experience at the disposal of the posse.
Captain Brown.
Yes?
Men, Webb just died.
This is his deputy,
Banner Cole.
What experience has he had
in this sort of thing?
He's Webb's deputy.
Give us five minutes
to get our guns.
Ain't a man in Paradise that won't ride
with you. Then what're we waiting for?
Yeah, come on.
Let's mount up, men. Now, hold on.
This won't be an easy job.
Figure on maybe riding yourselves
and your horses both to death.
That all right with us, Cole.
We're ready for anything.
- You'd better be.
- Why, there's only four of 'em.
From the looks of this town,
they hit more like 40.
We might send for help
from the Territory.
That'd give 'em time
to get all the way to China.
Never mind about outside help.
You can count on us.
The only thing I'm counting on is that there'll
be more dead men before this is finished.
Any of you still want to come, get ready
and meet me in the marshal's office.
All right, men. Get your guns and
get mounted if you're goin'.
Cole.
You were pretty rough
on 'em.
It was the truth.
You'd have gotten a lot more help by
encouraging those men to do the right thing...
instead of
scaring 'em off.
A man's fighting spirit
has to be helped, not stamped out.
Any man afraid of words
better not go.
I'll be with you!
Insolent young pup
questioning my courage.
He didn't actually.
If he had any sense,
he'd turn this command over to me.
My military experience
will be invaluable.
Let the past rest,
Jeremiah.
The war's so far behind us, there's no need
now for you to try to prove anything...
to yourself or to anyone.
Get my campaign boots
and my hat.
Clean 'em up, will you?
Very well, Jeremiah.
Ridiculous. I don't want
anything to do with it.
But it's your duty as a...
Excuse me, Mr. Cole.
I don't know if anyone has told you,
but the men who robbed my bank...
left Paradise
with exactly $11,200.
And one girl,
I'm told.
Now I'm even more convinced that
the bank must be represented.
I refuse to trust that posse
with that amount of money.
Seymour, you've got to go.
Now, look, Mr. Larson,
in New York we have a well-trained
police force for this sort of thing.
Well, don't you have any personal feelings
about a thing like this?
Yes, very strong ones.
I want to finish
my work here in your branch...
and get back to the main office
and civilization as quickly as possible...
where this sort of thing
doesn't happen.
You mean where all you have to worry
about is being at tea parties on time.
And cocktail parties.
Then you won't go?
I see no reason to.
You're trying to act
as if joining a posse were beneath you.
The truth is you're showing
yourself up for a plain coward.
I'm sure it'll be easier
going with the posse...
than having to listen
to you complain all day.
You'll find handcuffs
in that other drawer.
I won't need them.
Webb said you went it alone.
I didn't realize how much alone.
Why?
He didn't say why,
he figured it was none of your business.
He said you'd had
more than your share of bad treatment,
you'd lost faith
in people.
He knew if you didn't settle down soon,
you'd run yourself to death.
That happens when a man
starts building a reputation as a gunfighter.
You weren't Webb's only friend.
He had a lot of them.
He wanted to share
some of them with you.
I'll manage.
Trouble is I have nothing to offer but
advice. I'm too old to go with the posse.
Thanks anyway.
Tend to my horse.
You know I'll take
good care of him, Henry.
But I just can't
loan you a horse.
- All right, I'll get one somewhere else.
- No, wait a minute, Johnny.
I can see why Captain Brown
wanted to go and them others.
But them what got killed never
said one civil word to you.
No.
So it ain't your fight.
Maybe.
Do you suppose anybody will think better
of you because you do it?
Oh, all right.
You can take my black horse
out in front there.
But don't you
get him shot now.
Give him all the grain he could eat?
- Yes, sir.
Gave him
a good rubdown too.
Fine. Saddle him up and bring him
to the marshal's office right away.
You bet I will.
Say, Deputy,
you got no problems.
Jack Wiley here just rode in,
and he's going with you.
You oughta see him
use his guns.
He's gonna be
the biggest name in the Territory.
I hope I'll be some help to you.
- Be of help?
Why, Jack'll handle them
all by himself!
Now here's to old Jack.
Come on now. Everybody drink.
Now, men, here's the way
we'll handle this.
We'll surround 'em.
We'll force 'em to surrender.
We follow my tactics,
and we'll prevent any loss of life.
Sounds good.
This your posse, Benson?
- So far.
You men all got rifles?
Yes. Yes, they're hanging out on the saddles.
But I expected
a much bigger turnout.
Posse usually outnumbers
the outlaws at least 10-to-one.
More's coming.
There must be more.
We sure don't have enough manpower here
to go after such bad trouble.
I think we oughta wait for a little help.
It may take longer.
If you're not going,
get out.
All right.
I'll do just that.
Comin', Jim?
Anyone else?
The rest of you sure
you want to go?
Wouldn't miss it for the world.
He'll hold us up.
Our prime factor is time.
Captain Brown,
they took my niece.
I'm her only kin.
I got to go along.
I'm as much use
as any Indian.
Then you'd better keep up.
So long, Benson.
Well,
looks like
I'm the best dressed man you've got.
Yeah.
Something happened here.
Looks like the girl
tried to get away.
Yeah, lit out
for those trees.
You want me to take a look?
All right.
Hold it, Caddo.
That could be
a natural trap, Cole.
They might be hiding in the trees.
I've trained troops to do that.
You ever train a horse to climb a tree?
Go ahead.
Go on!
That's off my niece's dress.
They treated her
bad back there.
But as far I know,
she's still alive.
What do you mean,
they treated her bad?
That's something else
we owe 'em now.
Oh!
Oh.
Best not to fight the saddle,
Mr. Kern.
It'll help if you put
more weight on the stirrups.
Holy...
Just keeping up my touch.
Well, that's just fine.
You've told anybody within 10 miles of here
exactly where we are.
I didn't think about that.
It's too late now.
It certainly is.
If I were in command here, you'd be finished.
Captain Brown, shootin' like that,
Wiley'd be worth plenty in a scrap.
And I'd send
any insubordinate farmers back with him.
You're the one
who oughta go back.
We'll leave it
up to Cole.
Why don't all of you go back?
None of you are worth a damn.
The gully over there.
Caddo, you go ahead and scout the area.
The rest of us will follow at a distance.
Give me your coat.
Slowly.
Were you bitten?
No. No.
She's not bitten,
just fainted.
Did the diamondback get your hand?
- No.
Hogan, bring your canteen.
Caddo, cut a couple of sticks. Build a travois
and let her uncle take her back to town.
The killers
could be anywhere.
It's a bad risk to hang around here for
the sake of a half-dead girl.
By rights, we should be up
to those outlaws by now.
You had charge, we'd be a hundred miles
in the other direction.
I'd expect that from a gunman
who never shot anything but twigs.
Wiley, ride up on the ridge
and keep a lookout.
I never cared much
for snakes.
If I had more time to think about it,
I'd have probably run the other direction.
You did all right.
You ever been on
a horse before?
Once or twice.
I've lived in New York
all my life.
Why'd you come along?
I'm not quite sure.
Keep an eye on the bank's money
in case we get it back?
Well, yes. Plus a small difference
of opinion with Larson.
Gonna stick it out?
Yes, I think I will.
All right. If you want to kill yourself,
that's your business.
But I don't want you
slowing me down.
Get over behind that rock
and take your pants down.
If you're gonna keep up,
you'll need some medication.
This suit will never
be the same again.
Never mind about that suit.
Just get a good hold on that rock.
Oh.
Now rub that in.
At least it'll disinfect you.
One thing.
Right now
I won't particularly care if I get shot.
- That medicine help?
- Yes, I guess so. I, uh... I just feel numb now.
- Bring anything to eat?
- Oh, no, no. I'm not hungry.
Here. Try some of this.
Keep moving around.
It'll help.
Helen, honey.
It's me, Uncle Billy.
You're gonna be all right.
What can you say to anybody
after a thing like that back at the trees?
Well, just forget it.
Forget what happened to her?
What I mean is, no matter how you feel
you make it as easy on her as possible.
Naturally you feel sorry
for any ruined thing,
but you just try to act natural and pretend
she's the same as always.
Hmm, she's awake.
Well, so you're awake.
We... We were just
talking about you.
Everything is going to be
just fine and dandy for you now.
And don't you fret
about what people say...
or think or...
or anything.
If you know what I mean.
Ready to hook it up?
Yup.
Stop her!
Would you please just go away
and leave me here alone?
No.
I'll take a knife,
cut the skin off
where they touched me.
Now stop it!
Cry if you must,
but don't be crazy.
You don't know.
You don't know.
No, maybe I don't.
But this gun wasn't the answer.
You leave me alone.
I don't want your pity.
If you want to know something,
I think you're lucky to be alive.
Those men...
The smell of them.
Blood and sweat and whiskey.
It was so ugly.
Can you move?
I can run a thousand miles.
Never stop.
We've got a rig for you.
Your uncle can take you back to town.
Now you hang onto this.
Is there anything
I can do?
Get mounted.
Let's move out.
Mister,
is this all of you?
- That's right.
- But you can't go after them with just these men.
You'll all be killed.
I'd think you'd want
those four men stopped.
What's done
can't be changed.
But you...
you just now said
I was lucky to be alive.
You won't be if you go on.
You'll be home
in a little while.
Uncle Bill?
Yes, honey?
I don't want to
go back to Paradise.
Not now.
Maybe never.
Get goin', Caldwell.
Whoa. I saw 'em from the rise.
They're coming back.
Did you stay at your post long enough for
a complete reconnaissance?
I saw all four of 'em.
They're headin' this way.
They'll have to come through that canyon.
Now, men, hide in the brush.
Wait for 'em.
When I give the signal, we'll charge!
You stop yelling.
All of you, get over behind those rocks.
Don't anyone shoot
until I do.
Hold it right there.
- Who's that?
- It's not them, Cole!
Shoot! Shoot!
Stop him!
Stop him!
Who the devil are you?
Posse out of Paradise.
You?
We're what's left
of the Stendahl Ranch crew.
You crazy old fool.
We stood up to 'em.
We won the battle, didn't we?
You came closer to shooting me
than you did them.
The bullet went through clean
right above the knee.
But it's not too bad.
Did we get them all?
There wasn't any fight.
Don't be stupid.
I-I was wounded in the action.
I shot you.
Those are cowhands.
You'll regret shooting me!
If this were wartime, I'd have you hanged!
What did you come sneakin'
back up here for anyway?
Well, it's... it's high ground. I... I could see.
I could direct the engagement better from here.
Seems to me you could have at least stayed
where you knew who you were shooting at.
I'm sorry about the shooting.
- Oh, I understand.
There were six of us.
They killed Stendahl and the foreman.
I don't think Shorty
over here's gonna live.
His leg's nearly
blown off.
Them four fellas
is clear out of their heads.
Are they still
at Stendahl's place?
Was when we got outta there.
It's about 20 miles back.
How about taking our
wounded man into Paradise?
Be glad to.
You goin' after 'em with...
five men?
Uh-huh.
Well, that's your business.
Me, I wouldn't tangle
with those fellas with a battalion.
Why? The odds are just
gettin' interestin'.
Looks to me like some of you Stendahl men
would want to come along with us,
help to even things up.
They ain't nothin'
make me that mad.
I'm a cowhand.
I don't savvy this kind of fightin'.
Neither does he.
Anybody goes with that man will wind up dead.
We started out with seven.
We're down to five.
We haven't even
seen them yet.
I got a hunch our luck
is gonna change.
You know the Stendahl place, Johnny?
- Yep.
Well, let's ride
while they're still there.
Looks like
they're all inside.
Guess it paid to ride these horses
near to death after all.
We'll go in on foot.
When it starts,
shoot to kill.
Hogan, tie the horses
back in those trees.
Well, boys, we're about
to make ourselves famous.
They're gonna be readin'
about us all over the Territory.
Not in the obituaries,
I hope.
Caddo, you and Kern
take the left side.
Wiley, take the back.
Take the right side.
Douse the lights.
He could've shot
three or four times before he was hit.
Then why didn't he?
Was he afraid?
There's a lot of difference
between a target and a man.
Guess he just plain
couldn't kill a man.
- What are you doing, Hogan?
- He moved.
He moved and I shot him.
He was alive and I killed him.
He was dead
as a stone.
He was not dead.
It was me who killed him.
- What are you trying to prove?
- Nothin'.
Go ahead. Shoot him some more.
He won't mind.
We done the best we could. I killed the
one named Chunk. The others got away.
There's not much more
we can do.
Get him inside.
You were in the Rosebud
last night.
It was that one shot my brother Burl.
Isn't that so?
No. It was the one
they... they call Hash.
Wasn't it?
That's right.
How can you be so sure?
- We saw it.
Couple of fellas I talked to,
most of 'em said it was Chunk killed him.
Well, wasn't it?
No.
You dirty Indian liar.
You got something
more to say, Hogan?
Yeah.
I got the man who killed my brother.
That's all I want.
I quit.
Good.
You got no call to
act high and mighty with me.
Least I didn't shoot
one of our own men.
Get out of here.
You bet I'm gettin'.
You're just like them fellas we been chasing.
You're crazy.
We've been going
a long time.
Horses are dead tired.
So are we.
I'm going on alone.
Why don't you two
go on back with Hogan?
All they left us were
their worn-out horses.
But we can get fresh ones over
at the east pasture when it's light enough.
What do you think,
Kern?
Let's take Wiley inside
and...
and I'll make
some coffee.
I make the best coffee
in America.
Coffee's ready.
Wiley was telling me
he liked the way you measured up.
Miserable,
but not backing down.
I guess he'd like for you
to have this.
Take it. You'll need it
when the sun comes up.
All right.
About the bank's money...
and the things
that Larson said to...
to goad me.
Those are the reasons that...
that I came along in the first place.
And...
Well, now, it's not...
it's not the same thing.
Why did you come along,
Johnny?
It's what a man should do.
I'm surprised they ran.
Well, in the dark, they probably thought
there was a big bunch of us.
That's not surprising.
Kern must have fired
at least 50 bullets into that house.
And I don't think
I missed it once.
Captain Brown would have said
one member of the attacking force...
laid down
"a heavy barrage."
As long as you two
elected to come along,
there's something
I want to get straight.
Back there a ways
I said that...
none of you
were worth a damn.
I guess you do make about
the best cup of coffee in America, Kern.
Like I was about to say,
let's, uh...
I'll get
those fresh horses.
This blasted saddle's
out to kill me.
After all the damage
it's done down below,
now it's taking the skin
off my shoulder.
When this
is all over with,
I hope never see another horse
the rest of my life.
They went in there.
What's wrong
with that?
It's a box canyon.
Comes to an end about a mile in.
Good.
Then the only way out is over us.
They're sure
not easy to outguess.
What?
What is it?
They've already
come out of there.
Up to here, they were
headed toward Pineville.
But when they came out of
the canyon, they went south.
What lies south?
- Nothing.
There must be something.
Nope.
Down there is desert.
Just plain desert.
It is possible to angle back
to Paradise that way,
but it's the hottest
and driest way.
Maybe that's where
they're going.
Back to Paradise.
- Is anything wrong?
- I don't like the cut of that land up ahead.
What do you think, Johnny?
They could be anywhere
out there.
Only one way
to find out.
Keep goin'!
Take cover!
Stay here.
Hyah! Hyah!
Get his horse, Johnny.
Where's the rest of you?
This is all of us.
You lie. There were at least
a dozen of you last night.
We'd better do something
or he'll bleed to death.
Seems to me that's the way
it's got to be.
You just can't stand there
and watch me bleed till I die.
I'm your prisoner!
Can't stand to watch him
bleed to death, fix him up.
You know you got to.
You gotta take me back for due legal action.
You just can't stand there
while I die.
If you do, you're murderers.
It's a terrible thing to do.
Stop talkin' that way.
You're Christians,
ain't you?
You want to go
straight to hell?
You want to have me
on your conscience?
If he lives, one of us
has to stay here with him.
If we try to take him with only three horses,
it'll slow us down to a walk.
He'll have to die.
I don't want to die.
Help me.
Old Crip'll get ya.
He'll get you all.
Old Crip's getting more loco
every minute.
He said running into
that box canyon was a sign.
A sign to go back
to Paradise.
Back and kill
every mother's son of 'em.
Burn the whole town.
Kill them all.
Men. Women.
Children.
Marie,
please help me.
Marie.
How much damage
can two men do to a whole town?
You heard what he said.
It's the last thing
the town will expect.
They'll hit it
without warning.
You want me to go get your saddle
and your other stuff for you?
No, that'll do fine.
We'd better
make good time.
I figure on ridin'
these horses to death.
How far to Paradise?
Twenty more miles.
We'll get there after dark.
If the horses last.
Whoa!
What can you do
with somebody who thinks like this?
Like what?
Well, they were headed straight as a bowstring
toward Paradise through that valley.
Now they've taken off at right angles,
almost due south.
No reason,
no sense to it.
It's as if a ghost popped out
and scared 'em that way.
There's nothing out there
for a hundred miles.
There's only one thing to do,
the way I see it.
Maybe you and I should
keep after 'em, Banner.
Kern can go on to Paradise
and warn 'em what to expect.
Me? I'm afraid it's you
who'll have to go on to town, Johnny.
I'd get lost within a mile
by myself.
He's right.
I've got a better idea.
You two have already done
more than anybody could ask.
Why don't both of you
go on into town?
All right.
Then you're elected, Johnny.
Anything I can do
for you fellows when I get there?
Yes. You might drink
a couple of barrels of cold beer for us.
And throw a rock
through the front window of the bank.
Whoa.
They doubled back.
Get out of there,
Johnny!
Hyah!
Hah! Hah! Hah!
Fool trick
for a smart gunman.
If they'd have waited,
they could've shot you too.
Didn't g...
get to drink
that beer for you.
The ways things
worked out, I...
really didn't do anything.
You did a lot, Johnny.
A real man there, Kern.
His getting killed, it...
it was my fault.
No, it wasn't.
Is there anything...
Is there anything else
we can do for him?
Yeah.
Let's go get 'em.
What happened?
I'm all right.
I just fell off my horse.
Thought for a minute
you got shot.
Maybe I did.
I wouldn't notice it.
How'd you manage
to fall off?
Easy.
It's the easiest thing
in the world.
I just leaned out a bit,
and... and I fell off.
Anybody can do it
if they try hard enough.
Get a little dizzy?
Yeah.
But I'll be all right.
I...
I've been going on...
I don't know what.
You been going on pure meanness
and stubbornness, that's what.
Yeah, maybe that's it.
Well, you stay
right here and rest.
I'm going on alone.
The devil you are.
For a city fella,
you've already done the impossible.
Look at you.
You can't hardly
stand up.
You're not a shiny
as a new dime either.
No, I'm not.
But I'm not gonna
let you kill yourself.
Banner!
I'm going with you.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess you are.
You're not as bad off
as I figured.
When I can't move,
then I'll stop.
I'm beginning to believe
nothing's ever gonna stop you.
You know, yesterday...
Oh, it seems like
a hundred years ago.
I rode with Brown...
because I thought he had more social stature,
say, than somebody like...
like Johnny Caddo.
I guess I've been wrong
most of my life,
in my own
particularly stupid way.
I actually thought that
the most important people in the world...
were good tailors and...
and beautiful women.
But this miserable excursion,
it's been like...
like being born
for the first time,
getting a whole new
set of values.
Yeah, well,
the more punishment
you take,
the tougher you get.
I bet you've taken a lot
of punishment in your time.
I thought I had once.
Yeah. Sometimes it takes a while
for a man to realize he was wrong.
I kinda wish I coulda...
told Webb that
before he died.
From what I knew of him,
you wouldn't have had to.
I still think
you ought to quit.
Banner, I wouldn't tell this
to anybody else,
but this is the first time
in my life...
that I've felt like
a man at a man's game.
And I ain't gonna
let myself down, or you.
Try some of this.
Build up
your strength.
I could use some.
Me too.
Have one on me.
Say, that outlaw
really...
really knew
how to travel.
Yeah, that must be
better than 100 proof.
I feel like I've...
I've burned some new life into myself.
Let's go.
We ought to be able
to carry our horses for the next five miles.
See them?
How far to Paradise?
Ten, twelve miles.
Are we gaining?
A little.
But I think we can cut them off
if we ride at an angle to them.
Down there.
Moving into those trees.
Still headed
toward Paradise?
Not directly.
Paradise is off
across the flat.
They'll angle along into those trees
and try to keep under cover.
It'll be dark
before long.
We'll be between them
and town.
Cabin over there.
Looks like someone's home.
It's liable to wind up
right in the middle of our fight.
Stands
a good chance of it.
There's no sign
of 'em yet.
You stay here
and watch for them.
I'll shoo whoever's
in there back to town.
Stand a short one?
I could go for
a long one.
You go first.
When the shooting starts
try and keep a little clear.
Shotgun'll level anything
in a 10-foot square.
You mean "10 square feet,"
not "10 foot square."
I mean about the size of a washtub,
whatever that is.
Yeah, but what you said was
more like the size of a wall.
You bankers sure are
sticklers for detail.
Thought I told you
to take her into town.
This is as close
to town as she'd go.
I tried to
talk sense to her.
Wh-What happened
with the killers?
They're in the foothills
south of here.
You get out there
and hook up that buckboard.
And hurry up.
They'll be coming down out of those hills.
I'm so scared of them
it makes me sick.
But I'm not going back.
Yes, you are.
You think that I should go back there
and let them pity me?
Let the whole town
talk about me?
You're going back
if I have to drag you.
I'm gonna take a bath,
Mr. Cole.
You can stay around,
you can watch the show if you like.
Give me
some suggestions.
I have to live off men now.
I may as well learn how to appeal to them.
I may as well
start with you.
Well, what else is a girl to do
when she's been...
used and dirtied
by four filthy beasts?
I don't know.
But do you think the whole world
is gonna stop and stand still...
because of what happened
to you?
You're gonna have
to learn to live with it.
You might as well
start right now.
Not everyone thinks
the same way.
Far as I'm concerned,
you've...
never even really
been touched.
Now hurry up.
Take this,
and don't you move.
When the firing
gets further away,
take that buckboard
and get into town.
Where's the one
you shot at?
I think I hit him.
He went down.
Can you get your leg
out of there?
I'd yell
if I had the strength.
Put your foot on that saddle
and push.
I think I'll take a nap.
I think you'd better keep your eyes open.
- Why?
There's a little less chance of you gettin' shot that way.
- That sounds logical.
Now can I take that nap?
Yeah.
Just as soon
as we get you loaded.
Come on.
Give me that leg.
Only another
two, three miles.
We'll make it.
Doc'll fix you up
tomorrow,
and then we'll have
a nice, long drink.
Maybe several of them.
One other thing
I was gonna tell you.
After you've ridden
another 10, 15,000 miles,
you might make
a fair-to-middlin' horseman.
Here,
I-let me help you.
Touch this man,
I'll kill you.
Banner.
All right, Kern,
we made it.
Here. Let me take
a look at that side.
Not me. Him.
Looks like his leg's
badly broken.
I'll patch him up
the best I can.
But you'd better get a couple of men
to fix up a wagon...
so we can take him
to the hospital in Sedalia.
Banner.
Banner.
Huh?
I'll be back to... to have
that special drink you promised.
And then I'll ride
a few more thousand miles with you.
Yeah, sure.
What are you doing here?
Watching you.
Huh?
What time is it?
9:00
Sure thought I'd sleep
longer than that.
You slept
nearly 28 hours.
You started waking up
about an hour ago.
Oh.
You do all this?
Part.
Dr. Wells, Mr. Benson,
some others helped.
Eat.
Mmm.
That doc go crazy?
No!
While you were sleeping he took eight pieces
of buckshot out of your side.
And your ankle was swollen
about double.
And your knees, both of them,
all cut and bleeding.
Do you think I'll live?
If you eat.
How is it with you?
Town been as bad on you
as you thought it would be?
Worse.
Even the women.
But I'll live with it.
You were right
to come back here.
There were
some good men here.
Besides,
there's no place to hide.
Morning, Miss Caldwell.
Quite a mess you left
around the countryside.
Took a lot
of cleaning up.
I'm sorry.
- Oh, I didn't mean it in a hard way, son.
You did a good job.
Webb would have been real proud of you.
Town council
wants to talk to you,
if you've a mind to.
Then you won't
need me.
Jim.
Good morning.
Mr. Cole,
before anything else,
speaking for
the people of Paradise,
this council
wants to thank you,
really thank you sincerely
for what you've done.
Uh, gentlemen,
let's get to the point.
The point is, we'd like
to make you marshal in Webb's place.
That is contingent, however,
on a couple of questions, Mr. Cole.
First of all,
the question of the $11,000?
Stolen money that as yet
hasn't shown up?
A lot of men were killed
on that posse.
Enough to make me think
that maybe you're fairly hard on men.
No reflections
on your character exactly, but...
well, we've heard rumors.
What rumors?
That Mr. Cole here
is nothing but a gunfighter.
I don't say he is,
you understand, but if he is...
I don't think
we want him.
Wait a minute, Banner.
By going out
and doing what he did,
he made a coward out of every man
who stayed behind.
None of you
can forgive him for that.
Yes, and you scared ones
who hate him the most right now...
will be the ones who'll want him to stay on
as a lawman the most.
You'll want a man like him standing between
you and the next bad man who comes along.
I know how you feel, Banner,
and I don't blame you,
but if you've known one
or two men in your life...
who were willing to go out and chance
dying with you,
then you've known
more than most.
But there's some who don't
reach that high point of being a man...
who are still worthwhile.
Think on it.
Maybe you'll come up with some reasons
of your own that'll make you choose to stay.
For once
do something right.
Not out of hatin'-
but out of likin'.
I mean this town...
and the people.
They're good people, Banner,
and they've been hurt.
And they've got a right
to help you.
I-I didn't mean
to leave you...
in such a fix.
How'd it go?
No fudgin'.
Jackie!
You can see again!
Yeah. Doc says
I'll get the sight in the other one too.
Aw, that's fine!
Ain't you the fella that caught me
falling out of the wagon?
- Mm-hmm.
- Boy!
That makes you
the new deputy.
What you did
was sure a wonder.
I had a lot of help.
I'm glad about your eyes.
Say, can maybe me and my friends
come over and see you sometime?
Over at your office?
We'll see.
You're right.
There were
some good people in Paradise.
There still are.
Who?
Kern.
Benson.
The doc.
Those kids over there.
And you.
Maybe that's what Webb
wanted me to find out...
that there's always someone
or something worthwhile...
if we just look
hard enough.
Come on, boy.
Whiskey.
What is this?
Oh!
All right.
Come on, Spot.
It's all right, boy.
Marshal.
Come out of there.
What's this town?
What?
Its name.
Paradise.
Well, there ain't
no more law in Paradise.
Get out of the light.
It's Marshal Webb.
- How bad is he?
Oh, Lord.
He's almost blown in half.
Somebody get a blanket
to wrap him in!
It's Webb. Some filthy...
Get over here.
Hey, you.
I want you to go
to that door,
and you tell them
that he knows somethin'.
Hey!
Don't go out.
Joe knows somethin'.
Joe knows somethin'!
You heard what he said.
Joe knows something about it.
Joe, did you...
What's going on here?
You saw what they did to Webb.
There's only four of 'em.
- Shut up!
- We can take 'em!
Will anybody back me up...
You'll never get away with it!
There are armed men outside!
Mister,
we own this town.
Helen, stay here.
Uncle Billy's in there!
Well, look what
we got here, Crip.
What can we do for you,
sweetie?
My Uncle Billy.
He can't do anybody any good.
Tell me, honey,
won't I do instead?
Inside there.
Helen?
Olly, don't come any closer.
Stay away!
Just do what they want!
Who owns the bank
down the street?
Well,
he works in it.
You got a key?
In the Rosebud.
There's 30 armed men out here.
You got one minute
to throw down your guns and come out.
Married?
No.
- You?
- Yes.
- Family?
- Yes, I have.
You go on down there
and stand in the door.
I want you
to tell 'em somethin'.
Everybody listen!
Please, listen.
You tell 'em
I got 10 of you in here,
and if they start shootin',
I'm gonna kill 'em right off.
He's got 10 of us in here.
If you start any shooting,
he's gonna kill all of us!
At once.
And you tell them...
that if they don't
do what I say,
I'm gonna kill one
every five minutes.
If you don't do as he says,
he'll kill one of us
every five minutes.
Tell him he's crazy.
I mean it!
Do what he says! Please!
Please, do what he says!
Here now, let me
help you down, Jackie.
No, Ma, I'm too heavy.
Just guide my foot.
All right,
but be careful.
I can get down by myself, Ma.
Oh!
Boy.
That was a close one.
Be careful, Jackie.
But Doc says my eyes
will be okay.
Well, they won't
if you keep jumpin' around.
Thank you, mister.
Cole.
Thanks for catchin' me, mister.
Webb?
- You Cole?
- That's right.
I'm Benson.
Been waitin' for you.
Four men broke out of
the death cell over at Sedalia.
They robbed the bank here.
Took a girl with them when they rode off.
They killed four men here
last night.
Where's Webb?
They shot him too.
Come with me.
Mike.
Take Mr. Cole's horse here
over to the livery stable.
Have Henry take care of it.
What's he doin' in here?
First they thought he was dead.
He's too weak to be moved now.
I don't know how
he's held on this long.
Can he talk?
Afraid not.
I can.
You shouldn't.
What do you think
I've held off dying for?
I really got you
in a fix.
Got yourself
in a worse fix.
I told these people...
you were coming here
to be my deputy.
Well, you... you can't
blame me for trying.
Look, you're talking too much.
You rest up a while.
I'll see you later.
Oh, Banner,
don't go after them alone.
This time do it my way.
My breast pocket.
For once,
do something right.
Not out of hatin',
but out of likin'.
Anything I do
will be out of liking you.
No.
I mean this town.
People.
They're good people, Banner,
and they've been hurt.
Th-They've got a right
to help you.
Webb?
I... I didn't mean
to leave you...
in such a fix.
Mr. Hart, I just talked to Ma and Pa.
Yeah?
There's no point in getting any ice. We'll just
bury Burl soon as you get the box made up.
Being it's your brother,
I guess you'll want it in oak.
Birch or pine'll do.
I'll even things for Burl
without paying a lot for a coffin.
I'm sorry.
He thought a lot of you.
Which way'd
they head out of here?
North.
Wait.
Aren't you gonna talk to the men?
They've been waiting for you.
What for?
- To form a posse. You're in charge now.
If you're figuring on
carrying that badge he gave you,
you oughta go
with a posse.
That's what Webb wanted.
All right.
If they want to ride along,
I won't stop 'em.
Look, we got
plenty of men to go.
Now, who can we get to head her up?
How about Captain Brown?
Well, naturally I'll put my military
experience at the disposal of the posse.
Captain Brown.
Yes?
Men, Webb just died.
This is his deputy,
Banner Cole.
What experience has he had
in this sort of thing?
He's Webb's deputy.
Give us five minutes
to get our guns.
Ain't a man in Paradise that won't ride
with you. Then what're we waiting for?
Yeah, come on.
Let's mount up, men. Now, hold on.
This won't be an easy job.
Figure on maybe riding yourselves
and your horses both to death.
That all right with us, Cole.
We're ready for anything.
- You'd better be.
- Why, there's only four of 'em.
From the looks of this town,
they hit more like 40.
We might send for help
from the Territory.
That'd give 'em time
to get all the way to China.
Never mind about outside help.
You can count on us.
The only thing I'm counting on is that there'll
be more dead men before this is finished.
Any of you still want to come, get ready
and meet me in the marshal's office.
All right, men. Get your guns and
get mounted if you're goin'.
Cole.
You were pretty rough
on 'em.
It was the truth.
You'd have gotten a lot more help by
encouraging those men to do the right thing...
instead of
scaring 'em off.
A man's fighting spirit
has to be helped, not stamped out.
Any man afraid of words
better not go.
I'll be with you!
Insolent young pup
questioning my courage.
He didn't actually.
If he had any sense,
he'd turn this command over to me.
My military experience
will be invaluable.
Let the past rest,
Jeremiah.
The war's so far behind us, there's no need
now for you to try to prove anything...
to yourself or to anyone.
Get my campaign boots
and my hat.
Clean 'em up, will you?
Very well, Jeremiah.
Ridiculous. I don't want
anything to do with it.
But it's your duty as a...
Excuse me, Mr. Cole.
I don't know if anyone has told you,
but the men who robbed my bank...
left Paradise
with exactly $11,200.
And one girl,
I'm told.
Now I'm even more convinced that
the bank must be represented.
I refuse to trust that posse
with that amount of money.
Seymour, you've got to go.
Now, look, Mr. Larson,
in New York we have a well-trained
police force for this sort of thing.
Well, don't you have any personal feelings
about a thing like this?
Yes, very strong ones.
I want to finish
my work here in your branch...
and get back to the main office
and civilization as quickly as possible...
where this sort of thing
doesn't happen.
You mean where all you have to worry
about is being at tea parties on time.
And cocktail parties.
Then you won't go?
I see no reason to.
You're trying to act
as if joining a posse were beneath you.
The truth is you're showing
yourself up for a plain coward.
I'm sure it'll be easier
going with the posse...
than having to listen
to you complain all day.
You'll find handcuffs
in that other drawer.
I won't need them.
Webb said you went it alone.
I didn't realize how much alone.
Why?
He didn't say why,
he figured it was none of your business.
He said you'd had
more than your share of bad treatment,
you'd lost faith
in people.
He knew if you didn't settle down soon,
you'd run yourself to death.
That happens when a man
starts building a reputation as a gunfighter.
You weren't Webb's only friend.
He had a lot of them.
He wanted to share
some of them with you.
I'll manage.
Trouble is I have nothing to offer but
advice. I'm too old to go with the posse.
Thanks anyway.
Tend to my horse.
You know I'll take
good care of him, Henry.
But I just can't
loan you a horse.
- All right, I'll get one somewhere else.
- No, wait a minute, Johnny.
I can see why Captain Brown
wanted to go and them others.
But them what got killed never
said one civil word to you.
No.
So it ain't your fight.
Maybe.
Do you suppose anybody will think better
of you because you do it?
Oh, all right.
You can take my black horse
out in front there.
But don't you
get him shot now.
Give him all the grain he could eat?
- Yes, sir.
Gave him
a good rubdown too.
Fine. Saddle him up and bring him
to the marshal's office right away.
You bet I will.
Say, Deputy,
you got no problems.
Jack Wiley here just rode in,
and he's going with you.
You oughta see him
use his guns.
He's gonna be
the biggest name in the Territory.
I hope I'll be some help to you.
- Be of help?
Why, Jack'll handle them
all by himself!
Now here's to old Jack.
Come on now. Everybody drink.
Now, men, here's the way
we'll handle this.
We'll surround 'em.
We'll force 'em to surrender.
We follow my tactics,
and we'll prevent any loss of life.
Sounds good.
This your posse, Benson?
- So far.
You men all got rifles?
Yes. Yes, they're hanging out on the saddles.
But I expected
a much bigger turnout.
Posse usually outnumbers
the outlaws at least 10-to-one.
More's coming.
There must be more.
We sure don't have enough manpower here
to go after such bad trouble.
I think we oughta wait for a little help.
It may take longer.
If you're not going,
get out.
All right.
I'll do just that.
Comin', Jim?
Anyone else?
The rest of you sure
you want to go?
Wouldn't miss it for the world.
He'll hold us up.
Our prime factor is time.
Captain Brown,
they took my niece.
I'm her only kin.
I got to go along.
I'm as much use
as any Indian.
Then you'd better keep up.
So long, Benson.
Well,
looks like
I'm the best dressed man you've got.
Yeah.
Something happened here.
Looks like the girl
tried to get away.
Yeah, lit out
for those trees.
You want me to take a look?
All right.
Hold it, Caddo.
That could be
a natural trap, Cole.
They might be hiding in the trees.
I've trained troops to do that.
You ever train a horse to climb a tree?
Go ahead.
Go on!
That's off my niece's dress.
They treated her
bad back there.
But as far I know,
she's still alive.
What do you mean,
they treated her bad?
That's something else
we owe 'em now.
Oh!
Oh.
Best not to fight the saddle,
Mr. Kern.
It'll help if you put
more weight on the stirrups.
Holy...
Just keeping up my touch.
Well, that's just fine.
You've told anybody within 10 miles of here
exactly where we are.
I didn't think about that.
It's too late now.
It certainly is.
If I were in command here, you'd be finished.
Captain Brown, shootin' like that,
Wiley'd be worth plenty in a scrap.
And I'd send
any insubordinate farmers back with him.
You're the one
who oughta go back.
We'll leave it
up to Cole.
Why don't all of you go back?
None of you are worth a damn.
The gully over there.
Caddo, you go ahead and scout the area.
The rest of us will follow at a distance.
Give me your coat.
Slowly.
Were you bitten?
No. No.
She's not bitten,
just fainted.
Did the diamondback get your hand?
- No.
Hogan, bring your canteen.
Caddo, cut a couple of sticks. Build a travois
and let her uncle take her back to town.
The killers
could be anywhere.
It's a bad risk to hang around here for
the sake of a half-dead girl.
By rights, we should be up
to those outlaws by now.
You had charge, we'd be a hundred miles
in the other direction.
I'd expect that from a gunman
who never shot anything but twigs.
Wiley, ride up on the ridge
and keep a lookout.
I never cared much
for snakes.
If I had more time to think about it,
I'd have probably run the other direction.
You did all right.
You ever been on
a horse before?
Once or twice.
I've lived in New York
all my life.
Why'd you come along?
I'm not quite sure.
Keep an eye on the bank's money
in case we get it back?
Well, yes. Plus a small difference
of opinion with Larson.
Gonna stick it out?
Yes, I think I will.
All right. If you want to kill yourself,
that's your business.
But I don't want you
slowing me down.
Get over behind that rock
and take your pants down.
If you're gonna keep up,
you'll need some medication.
This suit will never
be the same again.
Never mind about that suit.
Just get a good hold on that rock.
Oh.
Now rub that in.
At least it'll disinfect you.
One thing.
Right now
I won't particularly care if I get shot.
- That medicine help?
- Yes, I guess so. I, uh... I just feel numb now.
- Bring anything to eat?
- Oh, no, no. I'm not hungry.
Here. Try some of this.
Keep moving around.
It'll help.
Helen, honey.
It's me, Uncle Billy.
You're gonna be all right.
What can you say to anybody
after a thing like that back at the trees?
Well, just forget it.
Forget what happened to her?
What I mean is, no matter how you feel
you make it as easy on her as possible.
Naturally you feel sorry
for any ruined thing,
but you just try to act natural and pretend
she's the same as always.
Hmm, she's awake.
Well, so you're awake.
We... We were just
talking about you.
Everything is going to be
just fine and dandy for you now.
And don't you fret
about what people say...
or think or...
or anything.
If you know what I mean.
Ready to hook it up?
Yup.
Stop her!
Would you please just go away
and leave me here alone?
No.
I'll take a knife,
cut the skin off
where they touched me.
Now stop it!
Cry if you must,
but don't be crazy.
You don't know.
You don't know.
No, maybe I don't.
But this gun wasn't the answer.
You leave me alone.
I don't want your pity.
If you want to know something,
I think you're lucky to be alive.
Those men...
The smell of them.
Blood and sweat and whiskey.
It was so ugly.
Can you move?
I can run a thousand miles.
Never stop.
We've got a rig for you.
Your uncle can take you back to town.
Now you hang onto this.
Is there anything
I can do?
Get mounted.
Let's move out.
Mister,
is this all of you?
- That's right.
- But you can't go after them with just these men.
You'll all be killed.
I'd think you'd want
those four men stopped.
What's done
can't be changed.
But you...
you just now said
I was lucky to be alive.
You won't be if you go on.
You'll be home
in a little while.
Uncle Bill?
Yes, honey?
I don't want to
go back to Paradise.
Not now.
Maybe never.
Get goin', Caldwell.
Whoa. I saw 'em from the rise.
They're coming back.
Did you stay at your post long enough for
a complete reconnaissance?
I saw all four of 'em.
They're headin' this way.
They'll have to come through that canyon.
Now, men, hide in the brush.
Wait for 'em.
When I give the signal, we'll charge!
You stop yelling.
All of you, get over behind those rocks.
Don't anyone shoot
until I do.
Hold it right there.
- Who's that?
- It's not them, Cole!
Shoot! Shoot!
Stop him!
Stop him!
Who the devil are you?
Posse out of Paradise.
You?
We're what's left
of the Stendahl Ranch crew.
You crazy old fool.
We stood up to 'em.
We won the battle, didn't we?
You came closer to shooting me
than you did them.
The bullet went through clean
right above the knee.
But it's not too bad.
Did we get them all?
There wasn't any fight.
Don't be stupid.
I-I was wounded in the action.
I shot you.
Those are cowhands.
You'll regret shooting me!
If this were wartime, I'd have you hanged!
What did you come sneakin'
back up here for anyway?
Well, it's... it's high ground. I... I could see.
I could direct the engagement better from here.
Seems to me you could have at least stayed
where you knew who you were shooting at.
I'm sorry about the shooting.
- Oh, I understand.
There were six of us.
They killed Stendahl and the foreman.
I don't think Shorty
over here's gonna live.
His leg's nearly
blown off.
Them four fellas
is clear out of their heads.
Are they still
at Stendahl's place?
Was when we got outta there.
It's about 20 miles back.
How about taking our
wounded man into Paradise?
Be glad to.
You goin' after 'em with...
five men?
Uh-huh.
Well, that's your business.
Me, I wouldn't tangle
with those fellas with a battalion.
Why? The odds are just
gettin' interestin'.
Looks to me like some of you Stendahl men
would want to come along with us,
help to even things up.
They ain't nothin'
make me that mad.
I'm a cowhand.
I don't savvy this kind of fightin'.
Neither does he.
Anybody goes with that man will wind up dead.
We started out with seven.
We're down to five.
We haven't even
seen them yet.
I got a hunch our luck
is gonna change.
You know the Stendahl place, Johnny?
- Yep.
Well, let's ride
while they're still there.
Looks like
they're all inside.
Guess it paid to ride these horses
near to death after all.
We'll go in on foot.
When it starts,
shoot to kill.
Hogan, tie the horses
back in those trees.
Well, boys, we're about
to make ourselves famous.
They're gonna be readin'
about us all over the Territory.
Not in the obituaries,
I hope.
Caddo, you and Kern
take the left side.
Wiley, take the back.
Take the right side.
Douse the lights.
He could've shot
three or four times before he was hit.
Then why didn't he?
Was he afraid?
There's a lot of difference
between a target and a man.
Guess he just plain
couldn't kill a man.
- What are you doing, Hogan?
- He moved.
He moved and I shot him.
He was alive and I killed him.
He was dead
as a stone.
He was not dead.
It was me who killed him.
- What are you trying to prove?
- Nothin'.
Go ahead. Shoot him some more.
He won't mind.
We done the best we could. I killed the
one named Chunk. The others got away.
There's not much more
we can do.
Get him inside.
You were in the Rosebud
last night.
It was that one shot my brother Burl.
Isn't that so?
No. It was the one
they... they call Hash.
Wasn't it?
That's right.
How can you be so sure?
- We saw it.
Couple of fellas I talked to,
most of 'em said it was Chunk killed him.
Well, wasn't it?
No.
You dirty Indian liar.
You got something
more to say, Hogan?
Yeah.
I got the man who killed my brother.
That's all I want.
I quit.
Good.
You got no call to
act high and mighty with me.
Least I didn't shoot
one of our own men.
Get out of here.
You bet I'm gettin'.
You're just like them fellas we been chasing.
You're crazy.
We've been going
a long time.
Horses are dead tired.
So are we.
I'm going on alone.
Why don't you two
go on back with Hogan?
All they left us were
their worn-out horses.
But we can get fresh ones over
at the east pasture when it's light enough.
What do you think,
Kern?
Let's take Wiley inside
and...
and I'll make
some coffee.
I make the best coffee
in America.
Coffee's ready.
Wiley was telling me
he liked the way you measured up.
Miserable,
but not backing down.
I guess he'd like for you
to have this.
Take it. You'll need it
when the sun comes up.
All right.
About the bank's money...
and the things
that Larson said to...
to goad me.
Those are the reasons that...
that I came along in the first place.
And...
Well, now, it's not...
it's not the same thing.
Why did you come along,
Johnny?
It's what a man should do.
I'm surprised they ran.
Well, in the dark, they probably thought
there was a big bunch of us.
That's not surprising.
Kern must have fired
at least 50 bullets into that house.
And I don't think
I missed it once.
Captain Brown would have said
one member of the attacking force...
laid down
"a heavy barrage."
As long as you two
elected to come along,
there's something
I want to get straight.
Back there a ways
I said that...
none of you
were worth a damn.
I guess you do make about
the best cup of coffee in America, Kern.
Like I was about to say,
let's, uh...
I'll get
those fresh horses.
This blasted saddle's
out to kill me.
After all the damage
it's done down below,
now it's taking the skin
off my shoulder.
When this
is all over with,
I hope never see another horse
the rest of my life.
They went in there.
What's wrong
with that?
It's a box canyon.
Comes to an end about a mile in.
Good.
Then the only way out is over us.
They're sure
not easy to outguess.
What?
What is it?
They've already
come out of there.
Up to here, they were
headed toward Pineville.
But when they came out of
the canyon, they went south.
What lies south?
- Nothing.
There must be something.
Nope.
Down there is desert.
Just plain desert.
It is possible to angle back
to Paradise that way,
but it's the hottest
and driest way.
Maybe that's where
they're going.
Back to Paradise.
- Is anything wrong?
- I don't like the cut of that land up ahead.
What do you think, Johnny?
They could be anywhere
out there.
Only one way
to find out.
Keep goin'!
Take cover!
Stay here.
Hyah! Hyah!
Get his horse, Johnny.
Where's the rest of you?
This is all of us.
You lie. There were at least
a dozen of you last night.
We'd better do something
or he'll bleed to death.
Seems to me that's the way
it's got to be.
You just can't stand there
and watch me bleed till I die.
I'm your prisoner!
Can't stand to watch him
bleed to death, fix him up.
You know you got to.
You gotta take me back for due legal action.
You just can't stand there
while I die.
If you do, you're murderers.
It's a terrible thing to do.
Stop talkin' that way.
You're Christians,
ain't you?
You want to go
straight to hell?
You want to have me
on your conscience?
If he lives, one of us
has to stay here with him.
If we try to take him with only three horses,
it'll slow us down to a walk.
He'll have to die.
I don't want to die.
Help me.
Old Crip'll get ya.
He'll get you all.
Old Crip's getting more loco
every minute.
He said running into
that box canyon was a sign.
A sign to go back
to Paradise.
Back and kill
every mother's son of 'em.
Burn the whole town.
Kill them all.
Men. Women.
Children.
Marie,
please help me.
Marie.
How much damage
can two men do to a whole town?
You heard what he said.
It's the last thing
the town will expect.
They'll hit it
without warning.
You want me to go get your saddle
and your other stuff for you?
No, that'll do fine.
We'd better
make good time.
I figure on ridin'
these horses to death.
How far to Paradise?
Twenty more miles.
We'll get there after dark.
If the horses last.
Whoa!
What can you do
with somebody who thinks like this?
Like what?
Well, they were headed straight as a bowstring
toward Paradise through that valley.
Now they've taken off at right angles,
almost due south.
No reason,
no sense to it.
It's as if a ghost popped out
and scared 'em that way.
There's nothing out there
for a hundred miles.
There's only one thing to do,
the way I see it.
Maybe you and I should
keep after 'em, Banner.
Kern can go on to Paradise
and warn 'em what to expect.
Me? I'm afraid it's you
who'll have to go on to town, Johnny.
I'd get lost within a mile
by myself.
He's right.
I've got a better idea.
You two have already done
more than anybody could ask.
Why don't both of you
go on into town?
All right.
Then you're elected, Johnny.
Anything I can do
for you fellows when I get there?
Yes. You might drink
a couple of barrels of cold beer for us.
And throw a rock
through the front window of the bank.
Whoa.
They doubled back.
Get out of there,
Johnny!
Hyah!
Hah! Hah! Hah!
Fool trick
for a smart gunman.
If they'd have waited,
they could've shot you too.
Didn't g...
get to drink
that beer for you.
The ways things
worked out, I...
really didn't do anything.
You did a lot, Johnny.
A real man there, Kern.
His getting killed, it...
it was my fault.
No, it wasn't.
Is there anything...
Is there anything else
we can do for him?
Yeah.
Let's go get 'em.
What happened?
I'm all right.
I just fell off my horse.
Thought for a minute
you got shot.
Maybe I did.
I wouldn't notice it.
How'd you manage
to fall off?
Easy.
It's the easiest thing
in the world.
I just leaned out a bit,
and... and I fell off.
Anybody can do it
if they try hard enough.
Get a little dizzy?
Yeah.
But I'll be all right.
I...
I've been going on...
I don't know what.
You been going on pure meanness
and stubbornness, that's what.
Yeah, maybe that's it.
Well, you stay
right here and rest.
I'm going on alone.
The devil you are.
For a city fella,
you've already done the impossible.
Look at you.
You can't hardly
stand up.
You're not a shiny
as a new dime either.
No, I'm not.
But I'm not gonna
let you kill yourself.
Banner!
I'm going with you.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess you are.
You're not as bad off
as I figured.
When I can't move,
then I'll stop.
I'm beginning to believe
nothing's ever gonna stop you.
You know, yesterday...
Oh, it seems like
a hundred years ago.
I rode with Brown...
because I thought he had more social stature,
say, than somebody like...
like Johnny Caddo.
I guess I've been wrong
most of my life,
in my own
particularly stupid way.
I actually thought that
the most important people in the world...
were good tailors and...
and beautiful women.
But this miserable excursion,
it's been like...
like being born
for the first time,
getting a whole new
set of values.
Yeah, well,
the more punishment
you take,
the tougher you get.
I bet you've taken a lot
of punishment in your time.
I thought I had once.
Yeah. Sometimes it takes a while
for a man to realize he was wrong.
I kinda wish I coulda...
told Webb that
before he died.
From what I knew of him,
you wouldn't have had to.
I still think
you ought to quit.
Banner, I wouldn't tell this
to anybody else,
but this is the first time
in my life...
that I've felt like
a man at a man's game.
And I ain't gonna
let myself down, or you.
Try some of this.
Build up
your strength.
I could use some.
Me too.
Have one on me.
Say, that outlaw
really...
really knew
how to travel.
Yeah, that must be
better than 100 proof.
I feel like I've...
I've burned some new life into myself.
Let's go.
We ought to be able
to carry our horses for the next five miles.
See them?
How far to Paradise?
Ten, twelve miles.
Are we gaining?
A little.
But I think we can cut them off
if we ride at an angle to them.
Down there.
Moving into those trees.
Still headed
toward Paradise?
Not directly.
Paradise is off
across the flat.
They'll angle along into those trees
and try to keep under cover.
It'll be dark
before long.
We'll be between them
and town.
Cabin over there.
Looks like someone's home.
It's liable to wind up
right in the middle of our fight.
Stands
a good chance of it.
There's no sign
of 'em yet.
You stay here
and watch for them.
I'll shoo whoever's
in there back to town.
Stand a short one?
I could go for
a long one.
You go first.
When the shooting starts
try and keep a little clear.
Shotgun'll level anything
in a 10-foot square.
You mean "10 square feet,"
not "10 foot square."
I mean about the size of a washtub,
whatever that is.
Yeah, but what you said was
more like the size of a wall.
You bankers sure are
sticklers for detail.
Thought I told you
to take her into town.
This is as close
to town as she'd go.
I tried to
talk sense to her.
Wh-What happened
with the killers?
They're in the foothills
south of here.
You get out there
and hook up that buckboard.
And hurry up.
They'll be coming down out of those hills.
I'm so scared of them
it makes me sick.
But I'm not going back.
Yes, you are.
You think that I should go back there
and let them pity me?
Let the whole town
talk about me?
You're going back
if I have to drag you.
I'm gonna take a bath,
Mr. Cole.
You can stay around,
you can watch the show if you like.
Give me
some suggestions.
I have to live off men now.
I may as well learn how to appeal to them.
I may as well
start with you.
Well, what else is a girl to do
when she's been...
used and dirtied
by four filthy beasts?
I don't know.
But do you think the whole world
is gonna stop and stand still...
because of what happened
to you?
You're gonna have
to learn to live with it.
You might as well
start right now.
Not everyone thinks
the same way.
Far as I'm concerned,
you've...
never even really
been touched.
Now hurry up.
Take this,
and don't you move.
When the firing
gets further away,
take that buckboard
and get into town.
Where's the one
you shot at?
I think I hit him.
He went down.
Can you get your leg
out of there?
I'd yell
if I had the strength.
Put your foot on that saddle
and push.
I think I'll take a nap.
I think you'd better keep your eyes open.
- Why?
There's a little less chance of you gettin' shot that way.
- That sounds logical.
Now can I take that nap?
Yeah.
Just as soon
as we get you loaded.
Come on.
Give me that leg.
Only another
two, three miles.
We'll make it.
Doc'll fix you up
tomorrow,
and then we'll have
a nice, long drink.
Maybe several of them.
One other thing
I was gonna tell you.
After you've ridden
another 10, 15,000 miles,
you might make
a fair-to-middlin' horseman.
Here,
I-let me help you.
Touch this man,
I'll kill you.
Banner.
All right, Kern,
we made it.
Here. Let me take
a look at that side.
Not me. Him.
Looks like his leg's
badly broken.
I'll patch him up
the best I can.
But you'd better get a couple of men
to fix up a wagon...
so we can take him
to the hospital in Sedalia.
Banner.
Banner.
Huh?
I'll be back to... to have
that special drink you promised.
And then I'll ride
a few more thousand miles with you.
Yeah, sure.
What are you doing here?
Watching you.
Huh?
What time is it?
9:00
Sure thought I'd sleep
longer than that.
You slept
nearly 28 hours.
You started waking up
about an hour ago.
Oh.
You do all this?
Part.
Dr. Wells, Mr. Benson,
some others helped.
Eat.
Mmm.
That doc go crazy?
No!
While you were sleeping he took eight pieces
of buckshot out of your side.
And your ankle was swollen
about double.
And your knees, both of them,
all cut and bleeding.
Do you think I'll live?
If you eat.
How is it with you?
Town been as bad on you
as you thought it would be?
Worse.
Even the women.
But I'll live with it.
You were right
to come back here.
There were
some good men here.
Besides,
there's no place to hide.
Morning, Miss Caldwell.
Quite a mess you left
around the countryside.
Took a lot
of cleaning up.
I'm sorry.
- Oh, I didn't mean it in a hard way, son.
You did a good job.
Webb would have been real proud of you.
Town council
wants to talk to you,
if you've a mind to.
Then you won't
need me.
Jim.
Good morning.
Mr. Cole,
before anything else,
speaking for
the people of Paradise,
this council
wants to thank you,
really thank you sincerely
for what you've done.
Uh, gentlemen,
let's get to the point.
The point is, we'd like
to make you marshal in Webb's place.
That is contingent, however,
on a couple of questions, Mr. Cole.
First of all,
the question of the $11,000?
Stolen money that as yet
hasn't shown up?
A lot of men were killed
on that posse.
Enough to make me think
that maybe you're fairly hard on men.
No reflections
on your character exactly, but...
well, we've heard rumors.
What rumors?
That Mr. Cole here
is nothing but a gunfighter.
I don't say he is,
you understand, but if he is...
I don't think
we want him.
Wait a minute, Banner.
By going out
and doing what he did,
he made a coward out of every man
who stayed behind.
None of you
can forgive him for that.
Yes, and you scared ones
who hate him the most right now...
will be the ones who'll want him to stay on
as a lawman the most.
You'll want a man like him standing between
you and the next bad man who comes along.
I know how you feel, Banner,
and I don't blame you,
but if you've known one
or two men in your life...
who were willing to go out and chance
dying with you,
then you've known
more than most.
But there's some who don't
reach that high point of being a man...
who are still worthwhile.
Think on it.
Maybe you'll come up with some reasons
of your own that'll make you choose to stay.
For once
do something right.
Not out of hatin'-
but out of likin'.
I mean this town...
and the people.
They're good people, Banner,
and they've been hurt.
And they've got a right
to help you.
I-I didn't mean
to leave you...
in such a fix.
How'd it go?
No fudgin'.
Jackie!
You can see again!
Yeah. Doc says
I'll get the sight in the other one too.
Aw, that's fine!
Ain't you the fella that caught me
falling out of the wagon?
- Mm-hmm.
- Boy!
That makes you
the new deputy.
What you did
was sure a wonder.
I had a lot of help.
I'm glad about your eyes.
Say, can maybe me and my friends
come over and see you sometime?
Over at your office?
We'll see.
You're right.
There were
some good people in Paradise.
There still are.
Who?
Kern.
Benson.
The doc.
Those kids over there.
And you.
Maybe that's what Webb
wanted me to find out...
that there's always someone
or something worthwhile...
if we just look
hard enough.
Come on, boy.