Jubal

It's Shep.

Hey, open up in there.

Place him down here.

- This fellow drunk?

- No. Half froze.

Pour some coffee. Put a slug in it.

- Who is this fellow, Shep?

- Picked him up just below Glacier Pass.

He stinks of sheep dip.

Wait a minute.

Now, you don't think he's one of them

lousy sheepherders, do you?

I don't know. Give him the coffee.

Can he drink it

or do I have to pour it down him?

Here.

Here. Put some of this inside you.

- Hot, huh?

- Like swallowing a branding iron.

You a cowhand?

Where's your horse?

Got lost in the blizzard,

coming over the pass from Montana.

He went out from under me.

He fell.

He screamed. You know,

screaming just like a human.

Yeah, most horses are better than humans.

All right, drink up.

Now, if you're a cowhand,

how come you stink of sheep dip?

I hired out to a sheep ranch,

'cause it was the only job I could get.

Most cowhands would die

before they'd herd sheep.

Show me one.

I guess we can't, at that.

- What might we call you?

- Jubal Troop.

Jubal Troop. I'm Shep Horgan.

This here's my spread.

And these here are Pinkum,

we call him Pinky for short.

And Sam. That laughing hyena is Carson.

- You ride good?

- Yeah. I can stay on most of them.

Well, we got a couple of extra bunks here.

You want to use one?

And in the morning we can see how

handy you are with a saddle.

Good night.

Let's get this straight, mister...

as far as I'm concerned, you still stink.

Bacon's in the pan. Coffee's in the pot.

Get up and get it. Get it while it's hot.

I worked at the Circle Bar.

Chinese cook kept a fire in the bunkhouse

all the time.

And he could cook!

Come on, don't go torturing that thing

before daybreak, I told you!

Pinky, you know I got to tune it up

every morning. It might go sour on me.

Where are my clothes?

I burned them last night because they stunk.

You know something?

There's just nothing as bad

as the stink of sheep dip.

You take a lot on yourself,

don't you, mister?

If I have to.

Here, put these on.

They might be a little outsized,

but they'll smell sweet.

Whose are they?

Shep brought them to you last night

after you went to sleep.

Say, man, you really went out like a light.

You ain't aiming to work here, are you?

- Good morning.

- Morning.

You ate already?

No. Just wanted to thank you for the clothes

and the bunk.

- I want to say goodbye.

- Goodbye?

You aiming to walk all the way to town?

Look, when I said we had an extra bunk,

I meant a job.

You running from something?

No, I'm not running from anything.

Just wanna keep moving, that's all.

Why? Ain't my place good enough?

Sure your place is good enough.

Maybe I am running from something.

Bad luck.

- I carry it with me.

- Where were you aiming to take it?

You know, did you ever stop to figure

that maybe it takes more energy...

to keep running away

than it does to stop and fight it out?

- Fight what out?

- Whatever you're running from.

You know, there comes a day, Jubal...

when a man's got to decide

where he's going...

or he won't get nowhere.

Well, I see our sheep-herding friend

is still here.

Was it Pinky soured you on staying?

Don't take him too serious.

Ever since he come from the South...

I seen he was born

with a big fat burr in his britches.

But he's a top hand.

They're all finished eating down there.

So you hightail it in the house and fill

your belly before the coffee gets cold.

You fellas move any slower and

you're gonna be doing yesterday's work.

Now come on.

Who are you?

Where did you get those clothes?

Mr. Horgan, ma'am.

He asked me to come here.

These belong to him.

I ought to know. I've washed them enough.

I suppose he wants you fed?

- Well, he told me...

- Are you going to work for him?

- I don't know.

- Sit down.

Thank you.

- Hungry?

- Yeah, some.

- Ham and eggs all right?

- Sure. That'd be fine.

- Any special way?

- No, ma'am. Any way at all.

Might as well start on the oatmeal.

It stays warm.

Thank you.

Don't do that!

Scares the life out of me

when you slam that door every time.

Cold hands, warm heart, huh, honey?

- You two get acquainted?

- Yes.

- Miss Horgan.

- Who?

It's Mrs. Horgan, Jube. Mae's my wife.

Been at it a whole year now,

ain't we, honey?

- Sixteen months.

- You're right. I didn't count the winter.

Always liked the winter.

Not much a man can do outside, hey, Jube?

Shep, you'll make me break something.

You go ahead

and break anything you want, honey.

Speaking of breaking...

you wanna show them cowhands

you ain't no sheepherder?

I got a no-good bay down at the corral,

ain't been worked much.

Nobody's been able

to take the pitch out of him.

You stay on Easy Moses and they'll know

you ain't no sheep-herd.

Hook him, Trooper.

Take a deep seat, boy. That's the way.

Stay with him, Troop. Attaboy.

Hook him, Trooper.

Attaboy. Hang him.

- Stay with him, boy.

- Hook him.

Break him, cowboy!

- Hook him, Trooper.

- Take a deep seat, boy.

That's the way. Look at him.

Break him, cowboy!

Come on, Jube, attaboy.

Hey, Pinky,

you still think that Jube's a sheepherder?

Hey, look here now.

Mrs. Horgan. I didn't hear you come in.

- Do me a favor, Jube.

- Sure.

When you finish what you're doing...

will you fetch me some firewood

to the house?

All right.

You like it here?

Sure, Mrs. Horgan.

- Why don't you call me Mae?

- You're the boss's wife.

What of it?

I wouldn't come too close to this

if I was you.

- You might get burned.

- You're not a very friendly man, are you?

I've been pretty busy.

Keeping out of my way?

- That's right.

- Don't try so hard.

I'll get the firewood.

- I suppose you needed some wood?

- What if I do?

Well, now, how about a little

of what I've been missing?

You know, there was a...

There was a time, not long ago...

when Shep was away, like he is now.

If you needed some wood,

you used to ask me.

Shep catch you doing that, he'd kill you.

Why didn't you think of that the first time?

I think it's time I asked him to kick you out.

You do that. Go ahead.

You tell him. Go on, you tell him!

When I'm saying adios,

I'll describe in full your little bag of tricks.

- You are asking to be killed, aren't you?

- Me? What about you?

Open the door.

Sure.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry I broke up your little party.

Don't you ever ask him up here again.

And just remember one thing.

While Shep's away,

I kind of keep my eye on the place.

And remember...

when the house gets cold,

you just call for Pinky.

Don't let her bother you, Jube.

There weren't a man on this outfit...

that didn't pop his eyes

when he first seen Mae.

It sure gets a fella.

He can't sleep nights for a while.

Then he starts to get over it.

He gets over it

because Shep is such a nice fella...

that he feels like he's doing him dirt.

Ain't that right, Jube?

Yeah. That's right.

Every payday it's the same thing.

Dress up, ride into town,

and spend your hard-earned money...

on poker and women.

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