Coroner Creek

Howdy, Danning.

- Find any of them?

You're lucky, the buck wants to

buy him a new wife.

He's a Chiricahua Apache

so he'll take your money.

You better give me that gun,

it's hard to keep your temper

if you ain't used to them.

They'd aggravate the flies off of a buffalo.

- I'll keep my temper.

You been an Indian scout as long as

I have, you learn to be patient.

I've been patient. For 18 months.

Let's go.

He wants to see

the colour of your money.

How can I be sure he was in on

the hold-up?

That's where he got this withered

arm, he caught a chunk of lead.

Smoke him out.

He was with a bunch of young bucks

led by a renegade Indian named Tona,

a white man hired them.

What about the white man?

This white man who used to work for

a stage and freighter line

knew about

a mine payroll going through.

Filled Tona and his bucks full of

fire juice so they'd raid the coach.

Promised to make them all

rich Injuns,

only he made most of them

dead Injuns.

He got away with all the money

for himself.

What about the passengers?

The white man shot them right there.

All except the girl.

What happened to her?

He kept her prisoner for three days,

then she killed herself with this.

It's the white man's knife.

The white man, what did he look like?

Everything he can remember.

Big.

Strong.

Yellow hair.

Blue eyes.

A scar on his right cheek and spoke

Apache like it was his own language.

That's all he knows.

Big, strong, yellow hair,

blue eyes

and a scar on his right cheek?

Let's hightail.

How much I owe you, Mac?

- Not a thing.

If I'm not being too nosey, you working for

the mining company that lost the payroll?

No

Then what's your personal interest?

Like you said, personal.

- I doubt if you'll ever catch him.

I got the rest of my life to try.

And if you do?

I'm going to kill him.

That girl on the stage coach maybe?

Maybe.

'Big, tall, blond,

a scar on his right cheek.'

'A stage and freighter man.

A stage and freighter man.'

'Tombstone, we'll keep going.'

'A stage and freighter man.'

'A scar on his face.'

'Now for Tucson.'

'Big valley.'

'He speaks Apache.'

'We'll keep going.'

Howdy.

- Howdy.

Rub him down and feed him.

- Yes, sir.

Hand me that gun. Thank you. Good night.

- Good night.

What do you want?

According to the book, room

number nine is supposed to be empty.

If you look at your key

you'll find it's room number six.

Oh. I had it upside down,

excuse me.

You're new in Coroner Creek,

aren't you?

Yes, just got in.

- Perhaps you can help me. Will you come in?

What's the matter with her?

- She, er...

She doesn't feel well.

Why, she's drunk.

I know. I've got to get her

back to her ranch.

Her buggy's in the alley at the

back, if you could take her home -

If she drove in, she can drive back

when she sobers up.

- I didn't want her to go home alone.

I suppose it is a favour to ask.

- I need sleep, I've ridden a long ways today.

Then I'm sorry I mentioned it,

your sleep is far more important.

Your room's across the hall.

It's alright, I'm Kate Hardison,

I run this hotel.

You run this place?

- What's so strange about that?

Oh, nothing, lady, nothing.

My name's Chris Danning.

Abbie? Abbie, wake up!

Abbie!

That's Apache talk.

She learned it from her husband.

Who is her husband?

- Younger Miles.

Miles, Younger Miles.

Is he the man that runs the freight

line across the street?

- Yes it is.

Now if you'll excuse me...

You misunderstood me a moment ago,

I'll see that she gets home safely.

I was just thinking it funny you

trusting a stranger to take her.

I didn't want to shame her by asking

someone she knows. Besides, if her

husband comes looking for her I want

to be here to tell him a lie or two.

Just where is this Rainbow Ranch?

- At the south edge of town,

the alley leads to the road that

passes it, the horses will take you.

- I'll find it.

You alright, Mrs Miles?

- Yeah, she's alright.

Who are you?

- I might ask you the same question.

Get out before I kick you out.

- I'll do my talking from here.

You will, huh?!

Now maybe you'll talk, huh?

What where you doing with her?

- Kate Hardison asked me to take her home.

She's been that way

since I first saw her.

Then why didn't you say so sooner?

Saved us both a lot of trouble.

You should have asked me.

You men take Mrs Miles home.

I'll see you back to town.

Much obliged,

I get awfully scared in the dark.

Yeah, I'll bet.

Hey, Mac!

Take care of them.

- Right, Ernie.

Have a drink?

- No, thanks.

What do you figure, riding on

through or stop over for a while?

- That depends.

If you want to stick around,

Miles can always use

another man-sized hand out at the

Rainbow. He's a good boss too.

I'll think it over.

- Good.

About tonight, like I said,

I made a mistake.

Ah, forget it. Match?

- Thanks.

About Mrs Miles, what happened

tonight is Younger Miles'

private business. If you're smart

you'll keep it that way.

If he was smart hed keep her home.

Mr Danning? You couldn't have made

it to Rainbow and back, who'd you meet?

The Rainbow crew, they took over.

Oh, Abbie will be alright then.

Which one of them hit you?

- Ernie somebody.

You came back in pretty good shape.

You must have hit him too.

- I got in a couple.

Good for you, everybody wants to

hit Ernie but nobody ever does.

Is that why you asked a stranger

to take her home?

I didn't know you'd run into them.

I'm glad you're not hurt.

Yeah, I'll second that.

You must be hungry. I got a large

platter of steaks and apple pie.

Well, well, what are we waiting for?

Kate! Oh, would you do me another

favour first?

Well, I...

- Come with me.

There's someone outside

I want you to help me with.

Another drunk?

- Oh, no, I've handled

my last one of those for tonight.

This is my father, Walt Hardison.

Dad, this is Chris Danning.

How do you do?

- How do you do, sir?

So you the hand Ernie Combs wants

for Rainbow?

You've got good ears, Mr Hardison.

- A cripple's pastime.

Thank you.

The Good Book is also a cripple's

pastime, a very pleasant one,

although some people try to run away

from it. That's very hard to do.

It's your bedtime, Dad.

I think you'd better come in now.

Abbie. Abbie!

When are you going to stop

this sort of thing?

- Nobody saw me.

You let a strange man bring you

home, didn't you?

- I don't remember.

That's the trouble,

you don't remember.

I've told you a dozen times,

drink yourself into a stupor,

but do it in your own room.

I don't want anyone seeing you.

Of course you don't.

Because a respectable wife

keeps nice folks from talking.

That couldn't have been the reason

why you didn't marry that girl

you moved to Brush Flats, could it?

Because it hasn't stopped you from

making regular visits over there.

You and your pretence

of respectability.

And respectable is what

we're going to be. To the people

outside this house anyway.

I've worked too long and too hard

to build up my position around here.

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