Dark Command Page #5

TO BE STOPPIN' BY.

OH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

YOU'LL FIND ME BURNING

THE MIDNIGHT OIL MOST NIGHTS.

SAW YOUR LIGHT ON

IN THE WINDOW.

MR. CANTRELL, I NEED

SOME LEGAL ADVICE.

I'LL BE GLAD TO HELP YOU

IF I CAN.

COUPLE OF POINTS OF LAW

I'M NOT SO SURE OF.

YOU GOT A TERRITORIAL

CODE BOOK HANDY?

UH-HUH.

GOT ONE RIGHT HERE.

IT'S PRACTICALLY

MY BIBLE.

GLAD TO HEAR THAT,

TEACHER.

I HOPE YOU ABIDE BY I LIKE A CHRISTIAN DOES

THE GOOD BOOK.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW,

MARSHAL?

PENALTY FOR SMUGGLIN'.

WHAT SORT OF SMUGGLING?

UNLICENSED ARMS:

INTO FEDERAL TERRITORY.

ALL RIGHT, HERE WE ARE.

"FIVE YEARS IMPRISONMENT, "

$5,000 FINE OR BOTH.

FIVE YEARS, EH?

IT'S A BIG SLICE

OUT OF A MAN'S LIFE,

TEACHER.

WHAT'S YOUR POINT,

SETON?

POINT IS, SOMEONE TRIED

TO RUN IN 500 RIFLES TONIGHT.

MM-HMM.

I FIGURED ON A GUN RUN

ONCE MYSELF.

EVEN I WAS TOO SMAR FOR THAT.

MR. CANTRELL, YOU'RE

ONE OF THE SMARTEST MEN

I'VE EVER KNOWN.

NOW, IF I DIDN'T LIKE YA--

NOW, JUST A MINUTE.

YOU'RE NOT ACCUSINGME,

ARE YOU?

NO, JUST TELLIN' YA.

I'D RATHER GIVE YOU ADVICE

HERE IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE...

THAN TO LOCK YA:

IN THE JAILHOUSE.

WHY, YOU'RE A CRAZY MAN!

GUNRUNNING:

AND SCHOOLTEACHING DON'T MIX.

DON'T YOU KNOW THAT?

I KNOW IT.

MAKE SURE YOU DO.

SO I'M LEARNIN' FLETCH

HOW TO BE A GOOD COWHAND.

HE'S LEARNIN' ME

TO BE A GENTLEMAN.

FLETCH MADE A BETTER DEAL.

YOU'RE BEING CHEATED.

HOW SO?

GOOD MORNING, WILL.

GOOD MORNING.

I'M NOT SETTIN' SO GOOD

WITH YOUR FRIEND, MR. CANTRELL.

WHY?

I THINK HE'S GO THE IDEA...

THAT I'M TRYIN'

TO STEAL YOU AWAY

OR SOMETHING.

AND?

WELL, I THINK MAYBE

HE'S RIGHT. GIDDYAP.

LOOKS LIKE THIS MAN

LINCOLN'S LIABLE TO WIN...

WITH THE DEMOCRATS

DIVIDING UP BETWEEN

DOUGLAS AND BRECKENRIDGE.

LOOKS LIKE A HEAP OF TROUBLE.

YEP. RUCKUSES IN THE SOUTH.

RUCKUSES IN THE NORTH.

LOOKS LIKE WAR:

JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

WELL, ALL I WANT'S

TO BE LET ALONE:

TO RAISE KANSAS WHEAT.

SOUTH TROUBLE AIN' NO CONCERN OF OURS.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW.

YOU FEEL SOUTH OR NORTH,

DEPENDING ON WHAT'S

IN YOUR HEART.

HEART NOTHIN'.

IT'S A MATTER OF POCKETBOOK

TO THE SOUTH.

YES, SIR, WHAT THEY WANT'S

FREE LABOR.

IN A NORTHERN MILL,

A MAN'S GOT A CHANCE

TO EARN A LIVING WAGE.

EIGHT AND SOMETIMES

TEN DOLLARS A WEEK.

CHEAP SLAVE LABOR--

THAT'S WHAT THE SOUTH

WANTS TO FIGHT FOR.

ALL THIS TALK:

ABOUT SOUTHERN TRADITION

AND CHIVALRY.

WELL, THERE IS TRADITION

THERE, MR. HALE.

WHICH MR. HALE

CAN HARDLY APPRECIATE.

OH, ONE OF JEFF DAVIS' BOYS,

HUH?

WELL, I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS

SOUTHERN TRADITION AND CHIVALRY

BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND.

THAT'S A WISH THAT'D BE

HARD TO GRATIFY.

SOUTHERN HOMES KEEP

YOUR KIND IN THE STABLES.

YEAH? WELL, MAYBE

IF YOU HAD A MEAL IN THE STABLE

ONCE IN A WHILE...

AFTER A HARD DAY'S WORK,

YOU'D COME DOWN

OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE,

YOU AND THAT RICH BANKER FATHER

OF YOURS LIVIN' HIGH OFF

OF OTHER PEOPLE, TALKIN' BIG.

NEVER DID A DAY'S WORK

IN YOUR LIFE, NEITHER OF YOU.

YOU'RE A LIAR, MR. HALE.

I'LL KICK THE TRADITION

AND CHIVALRY OUT OF YOU.

I'LL TEACH YOU TO--

COME OUT!

COME OUT OF YOUR FINE HOUSE

AND LOOK AT IT!

MURDERERS!

GO ON AND TELL 'EM,

MRS. HALE.

YES, I'LL TELL 'EM.

YOU'LL HAVE PLENTY TO EA THIS WINTER. WHAT ABOUT US?

WHO'S GONNA BRING IN

OUR WHEAT?

WHERE'S MY HUSBAND?

I'LL TELL YA!

MURDERERS!

MURDERED BY YOUR

FINE YOUNG SNOB OF A SON!

LOOK, BOB, WE'RE NOT IN MARYLAND

OR VIRGINIA WHERE THE LAWS

ARE SO RIGID.

THIS IS THE FRONTIER.

I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE MY SON

RELEASED ON BAIL.

SET THE AMOUN AS HIGH AS YOU LIKE.

I'LL POST IT IN CASH RIGHT NOW.

I'M SORRY, MR. McCLOUD,

BUT I JUST CAN'T DO IT.

YOU BOUGHT A HORSE TODAY

FROM MARTIN CLAUSSEN--

THE FASTEST HORSE HE OWNS.

WELL, THAT HORSE COULD TAKE

A MAN ACROSS THE BORDER

AND INTO SAFETY.

WOULD THAT BE SO AWFUL?

HE'S ONLY A BOY.

HE'S OLD ENOUGH

TO CARRY A GUN AND USE IT.

HE'LL HAVE TO STAY

IN MY CUSTODY.

YOU'LL SIT THERE AND CALMLY

SENTENCE MY BOY TO DEATH.

YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

BUT HE'LL BE SAFE, MR. McCLOUD.

HE'LL GET A FAIR TRIAL.

RELEASE MY BOY ON BAIL!

PLEASE, DAD.

LET ME SPEAK TO HIM.

BOB, I'M NOT GOING TO ARGUE

WITH YOU ABOUT RIGHT OR WRONG,

OR DUTY OR LAW.

I'M PLEADING WITH YOU

FOR THE LIFE OF MY BROTHER.

[ Stammering ]

I CAN'T.

IT-IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT.

I DON'T CARE

WHETHER IT'S RIGHT OR NOT!

DOESN'T IT MEAN SOMETHING

TO YOU THAT I'M ASKING YOU

TO DO THIS FOR ME?

THAT BOY ADORES YOU, BOB.

HE IDOLIZES YOU.

HE WANTS TO PATTERN

HIS LIFE AFTER YOURS.

DOESN'T THAT MEAN SOMETHING?

MARY, I'D LIKE TO.

THEN DO IT.

DO IT FOR ME, FOR HIM,

FOR ALL OF US.

I CAN'T.

WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB--

IT GOT UNDER MY SKIN.

I TOOK AN OATH--

YOU TOOK AN OATH

THE OTHER NIGH THAT YOU LOVE ME.

YOU ASKED ME:

TO MARRY YOU AGAIN.

YOU SWORE THAT--

BOB, BOB, PLEASE.

PLEASE, I'LL DO ANYTHING

FOR YOU.

I WANT YOU FOR MY WIFE

MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE

IN THE WORLD.

BUT NOT AS A BRIBE

FOR YOUR BROTHER.

I THOUGHT THEY BRED MEN

OF FLESH AND BLOOD IN TEXAS.

I WAS WRONG.

YOU'RE MADE OF GRANITE.

NO, MARY, JUST COMMON CLAY.

BAKES KINDA HARD

IN TEXAS.

SO, SETON PROMISES

I'LL GET A FAIR TRIAL,

DOES HE?

DON'T LOSE HEART, FLETCH.

YOU'LL BE A FREE MAN SOON.

OH, DON'T RAISE OUR HOPES

UNLESS YOU CAN DO SOMETHING.

I PROMISE YOU MORE

THAN YOUR FRIEND, THE MARSHAL,

IF YOU LEAVE THIS IN MY HANDS.

[ Will ]

ARE YOU SURE:

YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE GUILTY?

THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

[ Whip Cracking ]

YOU'VE GOT A FAMILY

AND FUTURE TO THINK OF, FARMER.

WHEN YOU VOTE,

THINK OF THEM.

REMEMBER THAT YOU GO A FAMILY AND FUTURE

TO THINK OF.

WHEN YOU VOTE,

THINK OF THEM.

YOU'VE GOT A FAMILY

AND FUTURE TO THINK OF.

WHEN YOU VOTE,

THINK OF THEM.

GENTLEMEN, YOU HAVE HEARD

ALL THE WITNESSES...

AND NOW YOU KNOW THE FACTS.

OR SHALL WE SAY,

THE SO-CALLED FACTS?

FOR IT MUST BE OBVIOUS THA A GREAT DEAL OF THIS TESTIMONY

REEKS OF PREJUDICE.

OUR COMMUNITY IS

PREDOMINANTLY NORTHERN

IN ITS SYMPATHIES.

YET, THE DEFENDANT,

FLETCHER McCLOUD,

IS A SOUTHERNER.

HE HAPPENS TO BELIEVE

IN THE SOVEREIGNTY

OF THE SOUTH,

BELIEVES IN IT SO FERVENTLY,

THAT HE FOUGHT WITH HALE

OVER THE ISSUE.

YET, IT IS HIS PRIVILEGE

TO HOLD TO THAT BELIEF.

IT IS NOT WITHIN YOUR POWER...

TO BRING HALE BACK TO LIFE.

BUT ITISWITHIN YOUR POWER,

BY RULING OUT THAT PREJUDICE

TO WHICH I HAVE REFERRED TO...

AND BY RENDERING

THE PROPER VERDICT,

TO GIVE LIFE BACK

TO THIS BOY.

LOOK AT HIM, GENTLEMEN.

LOOK AT HIS SISTER...

AND HIS FATHER.

NONE DEPLORE THE SPILLING

OF BLOOD MORE THAN THEY DO.

THEIR HEARTS ARE FULL OF

COMPASSION FOR THE FAMILY

OF THE DECEASED.

THEY ARE READY AND EAGER

TO MAKE WHATEVER AMENDS LIE

WITHIN THEIR POWER.

AND ALREADY THEY HAVE ARRANGED

TO SEE THAT MRS. HALE...

AND HER CHILDREN

ARE WELL CARED FOR.

GENTLEMEN, PAIN AND TORTURE...

ARE GRIM BEDFELLOWS.

IF YOUR VERDICT BE HASTY

AND MISTAKEN,

YOU WILL FOREVER AFTER

KNOW NO PEACE.

YOU DON'T WANT A TRAGIC MISTAKE

ON YOUR CONSCIENCES

TO HAUNT YOU...

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