Man in the Saddle Page #2

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- I hope we'll always be friends, Hugh.

- You don't fool me.

Why don't you ever smile at me, Nan?

Sometimes I come out of the hills, stand

near your cabin and watch the light.

Sometimes I come close to the door.

You don't know what I feel

inside. I'd tear off my arms...

I'd burn Springrock down

to ashes if you wanted it.

There isn't anything I

wouldn't do for you, anything.

- Hugh.

- Anything.

All right, then.

There's the dance on Saturday night.

Yes, I'll call for you.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

We Ishams are going to show you

all just what luxury really is.

We're going to open

the doors of Skull...

and ask you all to come in and eat

and drink the finest food and liquor...

that money can buy.

That's a very

hospitable proposal, Dad.

I'm sure my husband would

be happy to second it.

- Why, of course.

- Congratulations again.

I lost me a daughter,

but I got me a son.

Dad, you must be tired. Wouldn't

you like to go to your room?

Excuse us, please.

Lankershim.

I'd like to talk to you in the study.

- Come outside.

- What for?

Get on your horse and leave.

- Now lookie here.

- You lookie here.

I'm not gonna have you

panhandling off of Skull.

You'd send me away?

My own daughter?

I'm now Will Isham's wife.

And you'll not keep me from

having the respect and dignity...

that he expects me to have.

After all I've done for you.

- The way I raised you.

- The way you raised me?

I saw Mother work like

a horse to keep us alive.

I saw her die, out of shame, mostly.

What'll I do, daughter? Where'll I go?

Go back south where you used to live.

You won't starve. I'll send you money,

but you've got to stay away from Skull...

and from Will Isham.

I've got a chance to be

something the Bidwells never were.

And you're not gonna

ruin it. Goodbye, Dad.

- Pay, would you like some brandy?

- I don't drink.

I'm going to buy your ranch tonight.

You aiming to threaten me, Will?

If you are, I'm too grown up to scare.

I'm gonna make it so worthwhile,

you can't afford not to sell.

I'll give you $50,000 cash.

It ain't worth nigh that.

There's a small lake, a waterhole,

that straddles your land and mine.

Well, what of it?

There's more than enough

water there for both our herds.

You don't get the idea.

I'd only own half a lake.

I never own half of anything, I

own it all. Lock, stock and barrel.

That goes for anything.

Whatever I have is mine and mine

alone. I'll share with no one.

You're a strange man

to figure, Will...

but I reckon you can't be beat.

I'll sell.

If a man like Owen Merritt wouldn't

fight for what belonged to him...

I reckon I'm too old to try.

What belonged to him, Pay?

Pay, you're my guest

and I'll say nothing.

But when you ride off Skull tonight,

don't ever come back on my land again.

I'll pick up the papers at the

bank and give you your money.

What happened to your father?

He's going away on a trip.

He won't be back to Skull.

You're a smart woman, Laurie. I

was very pleased. You've got tact.

You know how to handle people

and make them feel good.

Thank you.

That's what you want.

What is it you want, Laurie?

Nothing more than I'm getting now.

You know my family, what I came from.

I'm grateful to you, Will.

And I'll never let you down

on my part of the bargain.

Remember that.

I'll play the part

you want me to play.

Is this nothing more than

a bargain with you, Laurie?

Nothing more?

Did I ever give you the

impression it would be otherwise?

No. I'll give you credit. You didn't.

Good night, Laurie.

Good night, Will.

Help yourself to the whiskey.

Thanks, boss.

Here's to you.

- What about it? - Skull is now

up against Owen Merritt's line.

What's wrong with that?

In spite of what he said, you

don't trust Merritt a bit, do you?

No. And I never will.

In that case, I'd better get

on with what I came here for.

Because the longer I put it off...

the longer he'll be

standing on those stairs...

between you and her.

All rounded up and tallied, Bourke.

Looks like this year you're

a dozen head up on me.

Is that right?

The way prices are, reckon we

both ought to do all right...

when we get this batch to market.

When do you figure we

ought to move them, Owen?

Look, the rest of the

outfit just showed up.

Hello, Nan. Your herd

is sure getting big.

This year I have 10 head.

Howdy, partner.

Need an extra hand, mister?

Sure, if you can cook

better than Cultus Charley.

Almost anybody can do that.

- Hello, Charley.

- Hello.

Is he still making you

sing for your supper?

Sure is, Nan.

- Howdy, Nan.

- Hello, George.

- All set for the big cattle drive?

- Sure am.

How many head you

shipping this year? Six?

I've got 10.

And you just see that nothing

happens to those steer.

They're the best beef in this

section, practically hand-fed.

I'll be doggone.

Here I always thought

they only ate grass.

- Coffee. Hot coffee.

- That sounds wonderful.

What happened to the cookies

you made at the ranch, Charley?

I don't know what happened. I

feed the pigs. Pigs get sick.

As a cook, Charley, I'll bet you're

a whiz at baking adobe bricks.

What's the matter,

Juke? Something wrong?

Say, what is this anyway?

- Coffee. Good coffee.

- I doubt that.

Charley uses gunpowder instead of

coffee. Pretty soon your head blows off.

I know. Mine just passed the moon.

Doesn't seem to bother Charley.

Charley no fool. Charley drinks tea.

You two cut out the horseplay

and pick up those strays.

Sure, boss. Anything you

say, boss. Right away, boss.

And don't call me boss.

All right, boss.

- Where's Pay Lankershim?

- He ain't shipping with us.

We've been bunching

our herds for years.

No more.

Pay sold out to Will

Isham. Everything.

- That makes Skull your neighbour now.

- Yeah.

Stay away from trouble,

Owen. It comes easy to you.

It'll come still easier 'cause you're

in a frame of mind to have some.

Besides, it's always been a

great comfort to me at night...

to look across the desert and see

your light shining on the hill.

- I hope I'll see it there always.

- It'll be there.

There's no woman in the world

worth tearing yourself apart for.

And you'd better take

care of my cattle.

The cattle are restless,

getting pretty spooky.

- Bad smell in the wind.

- Couldn't be your cooking.

- There we go.

- We'll be moving out around 4:00.

Hitch up and have Chuck ready

for us at the springs by daybreak.

If I catch you under my

hat again, I'll plug you.

Or worse, make you

drink your own coffee.

- Don't you think that I need a new hat?

- No. The hat needs a new head.

And weren't you told

to hook up the horses?

Boys, look!

You ride the herd. I'll try

to turn it with the wagon.

Juke!

Owen!

Stampede ran him down.

Yeah, after he was shot

in the back of the head.

- Charley, get a blanket.

- Yes.

My brother, dead.

- Who were they, Owen? Do you know?

- Couldn't tell.

Juke knew.

You got nothing to say, Owen?

There's only one bunch that

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