Conagher Page #3

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You know a man out there on a horse...

all alone...

would be a sitting duck | for a man with a rifle.

It'd be real foolish to risk that now, | wouldn't it?

What's eating you, Conagher?

You tell me.

I assume Mahler gave you | the lay of the land.

I think he's told me what I need to know.

Conagher...

I got nothing but respect | for an honest cowhand.

I take a man's money, Mr. Tay, | I ride for the brand.

Get back.

Get back.

Where are you going with them steers?

Back to their home range.

As you can see, they're ST cows.

I don't believe I know you.

Are you a new rider for Tay?

- Name's Conagher. | - I'm Tile Coker.

You'd better have a chat | with Chris Mahler.

We've talked before.

Me and Chris rode for the stage company | a while back.

You the gent | that busted up Kiowa Staples?

- We had a difficulty. | - I heard about it.

You and Chris should get | better acquainted.

Save us all some trouble.

Maybe.

- Conn. | - Pretty song.

Thanks.

Those cows seem to be | in pretty good shape.

I've seen a few of them drifting though.

Yeah?

Did you see anybody?

Only a puncher named Coker.

Rides for the Ladder Five.

Did you talk much?

No, not much.

Good coffee.

My ma taught me.

- Yeah? | - Yeah.

Only she had to work 'cause my pa was | killed in a train crash when I was six.

She had nerve.

Takes nerve to bring up a boy | when a woman's alone.

I always wished I could have known | what my pa was like.

Yeah, a boy should know his pa.

Needs someone to look up to.

There was a man, | worked in a store near us.

Sometimes when we hadn't any money, | he'd let us have groceries anyway...

till we could pay.

I don't know if ma ever did manage | to pay him all of it.

Someday you ought to go back | and find out.

Pay what you owe.

I've thought about it.

You think I should?

- Conn? | - Yeah?

Why didn't you draw on Kiowa?

You mean, was I afraid?

Staples didn't need killing.

He needed to be taught a lesson.

He would have killed you | if he had the chance.

He might have.

I'll tell you something, kid...

any man who kills | when he can do otherwise is crazy...

is plumb crazy.

Some men take the side of killing, Johnny.

Just make sure | when the killing time comes...

you're standing on the right side.

Whoa!

- Howdy, Mr. McCloud. | - Howdy, son.

Hi, son.

- Howdy, Mrs. Teale. | - Mr. McCloud.

They're kind of beat up | but here's some reading for you.

Thank you.

- No passengers today. | - No, ma'am, not today.

Just Sampson and myself.

You wouldn't happen to have | any of those cookies, would you?

You bet.

Been reading poems, Mrs. Teale?

In the evening. I sit outside.

Is something wrong?

Mrs. Teale, this ain't easy for me...

and I'm sure it must be | a lot harder for you...

but something, | be it Indians, or thieves, or nature...

has taken your husband.

We know that, Mr. McCloud.

Is there something else?

Yes, ma'am.

In a couple of weeks...

Red Rock Station is going to be finished.

We'll be stopping there instead of here.

Stopping...

Yes, ma'am.

I know you've been making | something off of us...

but the time's almost at an end.

How are you folks going to make it?

We had hoped to have a herd by now.

Yes, ma'am.

Mrs. Teale...

you and those young ones | would be a lot better off in town.

And you'd have a lot better chance | of finding a good man there, too.

The children and I are staying here.

And if I marry again, Mr. McCloud, | it will be only for love.

Yes, ma'am.

I've got to be going, Mrs. Teale...

but I'll come by when I can | and check on you.

Thank you, Mr. McCloud.

Thank you for everything. | You've been a good friend.

- I won't forget you. | - Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

"Sometimes, when I'm alone...

"I feel I will die...

"if I do not talk to someone...

"and I am alone so much.

"I love to hear the wind in the grass...

"or in the cedars."

We already ate, but the coffee's still hot.

Well, thanks.

Any trouble?

No, not yet, but it's coming.

I don't know you, cowboy, | and you don't know me...

but you got any ideas | about bucking trouble...

I'm afraid you're going to have | to go it alone.

You won't help me?

I'm up into my 70s, boy. | I got a bum ticker to boot.

I was kind of hoping | to just live out my days...

and not die out on some sandy slope | with lead in my guts.

If they get me out on that range, | they'll kill me for sure...

then just take my cattle as they please. | Nobody to stop them.

What if they come after you?

They come after me, I'll damn sure fight.

You better keep your rifle handy.

What's got into you, Conn?

We got a good thing going here, | you play your cards right.

- You do what you like, Chris. | - There's no need to stir up trouble.

You were looking for a place to set up | for the winter, right?

You got it.

So why don't you just sit still | and ride it out?

Come springtime, you can drift.

Take a man's money | and do the job he paid me for.

I don't know no other way.

No, I guess you don't.

You're no tenderfoot.

The Ladder Five is Smoke Parnell's outfit.

You run afoul of them, | and they'll nail your hide to the barn door.

Tell me something, Chris.

Where do you stand?

You riding for the brand...

or you running scared?

Or are you selling out to that damn bunch | of highbinders on the Five?

I ought to make you | draw your gun for that.

Damn you, Conn, you're pushing me.

Seems to me, | I'm the one who's being pushed.

You're a damn fool.

They're gonna clean | that old man out by spring.

Now, you can do your job...

and look the other way, | or you can set yourself up for a target.

You got a choice.

No, you got a choice.

You can throw your pack on your horse | and ride out of here tonight...

or you can go for that gun.

All right.

I'm pulling out.

I'm taking Johnny with me...

and that just leaves you and the old man.

How far is that gonna take you?

None of us is gonna get out of this alive.

That's the only thing | a man knows about life.

- What's going on? | - I just quit.

- Get your gear, we're heading out. | - Where?

I'm joining up with the Five.

- Is this your doing? | - Nope, it's his.

He decided he couldn't swindle a man | who paid him honest wages.

You talk too much.

Come on, kid.

You're my partner, ain't you?

- Well, sure, Chris, but... | - Are you coming or not?

You boys saddled this bronc, | let's see if you can ride it.

I'm staying here, Chris.

To hell with both of you.

"When I was a little girl...

"I dreamed of a handsome knight.

"He'd come on a white charger | and carry me away."

That lets you out.

"Last night I walked out | and looked up at the stars.

"How I wish I knew | the names of the stars."

Jackson!

- Get on, damn it, get on. | - Get your foot out of the damn stirrup.

Come on.

Let's get out of here.

That old horse of yours | looks plumb tuckered out.

Yeah, he's paying the price | for me making you shorthanded.

If you're worried about Mahler, don't.

I'd have done more than just run him off.

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