Decision at Sundown Page #5

So now Allison's taking out

all of his hate on one man?

He don't figure there was ever anybody else.

Doc, I'm going back over there

and tell Bart about this whole mess

if I have to hit him over the head

and tie him up.

There ain't no more men like Bart Allison.

I ain't gonna let them kill him

over the likes of Mary.

I don't think they're gonna

let you back in there.

Sure they will. We'll get on our horses

and we'll ride out of this town

and maybe he can start living

like a man's supposed to.

What man knows

how a life should really be lived?

Well, he'll know.

He'll know as soon as he gets the memory

of that woman out of his craw. He'll know.

- The food's on me, Sam.

- Thanks, Doc.

You keep that coffee hot, honey.

I'll be back one of these days.

Texas!

Where are you heading?

I ain't about to walk back to Texas.

No objection to me getting my horse?

- No, go ahead.

- Thanks.

You better get away from there, Doc,

before you get hurt.

Doc, Doc, you've gotta tell Bart.

Mary was no good.

How can y'all stand around doing nothing

when a man's been murdered

right before your eyes?

Shut up, Doc!

Swede! Swede Hansen, I'm gonna take you,

and when I do,

you're gonna see me coming.

I'll be waiting for you, Allison.

And he won't be coming alone!

Doc, go on up the street

and join the rest of your fine citizens.

Allison! Sam wanted you...

What he wanted

don't make no difference now.

Well, if you'd listen

to me, I think it might.

I ain't listening no more.

Where I come from, a lawman don't shoot

an unarmed man in the back,

and when he gives his word,

you can count on it.

There's liable to be some more shooting,

so everybody off the street.

If we're only just going to be spectators

to the next killing,

we might as well go inside

and wait with the others.

Their consciences will rest easier

if they don't see what happens to Allison.

Doc, if you'd been tending bar

as long as I have,

you wouldn't expect so much

out of the human race.

Hey, Otis, come on in here

and start pouring some more whiskey.

Another one.

This is still a saloon, Morley.

How about joining me in a drink?

I don't want another drink.

How about you joining me,

Mr. Justice of the Peace?

Oh, good gracious, no. No, I haven't

touched a drop of whiskey in years.

Is that a fact?

The gospel truth. Isn't that right, Otis?

You never fooled anyone, Zaron,

so why don't you drink out in the open,

the way a man's supposed to?

Hey, come back here!

Leave him alone! Let him go!

You had no call to do that.

We all knew that Zaron was a drinking man.

I figured it was about time

we let him know that we know.

Did you see the old hypocrite's face

when I broke his whiskey bottle?

He claims he's gonna be

a real preacher someday.

I'll bet he'll never dare get back

in that pulpit again, even for a wedding.

Do you all think that's really funny?

What's the matter with you, Doc?

Why should Zaron be the only man forced

to see himself the way he really is?

Why, if we all faced up to the truth,

our heads would be hanging lower

than his is right now.

I don't know how you figure that.

We all heard our fine sheriff offer to let

those two men ride out of town unharmed

if they'd come out without their guns.

If they'd come out without their guns.

We all saw what happened.

You know dang well

he ain't our sheriff, Doc.

He's Kimbrough's sheriff.

But he should be ours, Abe.

This is our town.

We're responsible for everything good

and everything bad that happens in it.

Kimbrough couldn't have changed Sundown

if we hadn't helped him.

I ain't never helped Kimbrough.

We've all helped him,

haven't we, Mr. Morley?

By doing nothing, just like we're doing now.

Sure, Spanish and the sheriff

pulled the triggers that killed that Texan,

but we're all guilty,

just as guilty as they are.

And unless we do something about it,

there's another killing coming up.

You're sure keeping me waiting

a long time, Allison.

There isn't anyone here

who hasn't lost something

since Tate Kimbrough came to town.

If we let this chance pass

without doing anything,

I doubt that we'll ever get back

what we've lost.

I hadn't noticed Mr. Summerton

had lost anything, Doc.

He's done pretty well

the last couple of years.

Perhaps you hadn't noticed it,

but I've lost more than anyone else.

I lost my self-respect.

Where are you going, Lucy?

What's going on in here?

I don't know, Tate,

but whatever it is, I like it.

It wouldn't surprise me, Doc,

if you weren't stirring things up a bit.

I've certainly been trying.

I'd stop if I were you.

You know, Mr. Morley,

I think Allison deserves a better chance

than his partner got.

What do you think?

I think you're right, Doc.

You're just as right as rain.

Old Charlie Summerton ain't

the only one that lost his self-respect,

but I aim to do something

about getting mine back.

Now, I always figured

that our sheriff was a coward

unless he had all the odds going for him.

So, if it's all right with my boys,

we'll go over there

and just even them odds up a little.

I've been waiting for two years

for something like this to happen.

Looks like maybe Allison's coming to town

was all we needed

to get us back on the right track.

All right, up! Up!

Throw it out.

Drop 'em!

And the belts!

Looks to me, Morley,

like you and your C-Cross boys

are going out of your way to make trouble.

Maybe so, but we just got to figuring

that a man's got to draw the line someplace

if he's going to go on living with himself.

And that's just what we're doing.

Now, Sheriff, if you want that Texan,

you're going to have to take him

all by yourself.

Interfering with the law

is a pretty serious offense, Morley.

Your boys ain't lawmen.

The fact is,

they was pretty decent ranch hands

till Kimbrough put his brand on them.

Now, go ahead, do your duty.

Jack, give the sheriff back his gun.

Maybe we'd best get back inside.

Looks like there's gonna be

some more shooting.

Swede, Sam never had a chance

to use his gun, and you won't either.

Start walking.

Doc!

Let me see. Come on, let's have a look at it.

Looks like I'm going to have to go over

to that hotel and pry Kimbrough loose.

In half an hour this hand will be so

swollen, you won't be able to use it.

Go over there and sit down.

By that time I'll be finished

what I came here for.

Allison, I want you to listen to me.

Sam thought more of you

than anyone else in the world.

That's why he wouldn't hurt you.

Sam never hurt anybody in his life.

On account of me, he's dead.

It should have been me,

but you can't change things by wishing.

- He only wanted...

- Or by talking.

And there's some things

you can't change with bullets.

It looks like you're

doing your job real good,

so don't spoil it

by some of your philosophizing.

Doc, if it just so happens

I ain't able to bury Sam,

I'd appreciate it if you'd take care of it.

- I'll take care of it, Bart.

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