Man in the Saddle Page #4

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If you'd have been in his

place, what would you have done?

I'm not in his place.

Suppose you'd known before our marriage

that I meant to go after Merritt.

Would you have married me?

What a brutal question.

Thanks for the compliment.

Now remember, watch

her like I told you to.

You don't like coffee?

I knew this stuff was

good for something.

Look. Boot polish.

Charley, you been around this

country 1,000 years or so.

What kind of scout are you?

How good are you at tracking?

- My father was good.

- But your father's dead.

- What's he got to do with it?

- I am much better.

Then get on that trail

and find Owen Merritt fast.

You men see anything of

a buckboard going by here?

Yeah.

- Which way did they go?

- They went up into the mountains.

- How long ago?

- Three days ago.

Thank you.

Who's that?

Mrs. Isham.

You got to stay here, Mrs. Isham.

- Get away, Repp.

- Sorry, but I can't.

- Get out of my way.

- Put that silly little thing away.

Repp, I've used a gun for years...

and I could tear your collarbone

to pieces before you moved.

- We'll see about this, ma'am.

- Take off your hat.

Walk in front of me, and

run when I tell you to run.

- I ain't taking orders from no lady.

- I'm not a lady, Repp.

I'm the Bidwell girl...

and I was raised among harder

men than you think you are.

Now, get in front of me.

And if you stop before I tell

you to, I'll shoot you. Come on.

Maybe we can be leaving here soon.

I could use a razor, if I had one.

Sounds like a coyote

going through dry brush.

It's good to hear you laugh.

- There hasn't been much to laugh about.

- Yeah.

Wish I could thank your

grandfather for this hideout.

He built it when they

first came to this country.

It was a place of safety

against Indian raids.

I'll take the Indians

to Skull any day.

Owen, what are you gonna do now?

The problem hasn't changed.

So you're not going to run.

- You want me to?

- No. Even if I did, you wouldn't.

I know you too well for that.

You'll stay and fight.

I don't know how you'll do

it, but you'll do it somehow.

But what about you?

By now, everybody must

know you're with me.

I don't care. It's been worth it.

I never had a man to boss before.

Nan, whatever happens, the past

few days balance for everything.

That's the way I feel.

I'd better get these dishes washed.

Cheap woman.

Don't try it, Merritt.

I should smash your face in, running

off with this fiddle-foot like that.

What's aching you, Clagg?

Get away from that gun, Nan.

Get back over there. Put your

hands behind you, both of you.

Go on. Get back over there.

Not too close together.

What's the matter with

you? Have you gone crazy?

Maybe I have.

Merritt, you get

everything your own way.

You can have Laurie by lifting your

finger if you wanted, and now Nan.

What's the difference

between you and me?

I'd claw down the hills for

a kind look from that girl...

but I'd never get it,

not in a thousand years.

You'd cheat for this man,

do just what he wanted.

Pull up, Clagg.

You two are fooling yourselves,

and I'm going to end it.

No.

- I could kill him!

- I know.

- It's what he said, what he said

about you. - But it's wrong.

I don't want you to kill anybody.

Let's get started.

She got away? But I told

you not to let her out of...

You didn't tell me she had

a gun and knew how to use it.

Look at that. And that

ain't all. My feet.

- Where'd she go?

- I don't know, but she sure went fast.

Been looking for you.

Looks like you met up with

a mountain lion, maybe two.

- Are you still looking for Merritt?

- So that's it. He chewed you up.

Where is Merritt?

Holed up in an old hideout

in Rock Canyon at the falls.

He's probably gone by now,

but he'll be easy to trail.

- He's got a woman with him.

- What woman, Clagg?

What woman? Who do you think?

The one woman of this country...

who'll double-cross her own

soul to save Merritt's life.

You're too free with

your tongue, Clagg.

No man talks about my wife.

It isn't the woman

you were thinking of.

It wasn't your wife.

Don't just stand there. Get your

horses. We're going to Rock Canyon.

- Boss, I bring the horse for you.

- Good.

You know, Owen, with the Skull

outfit hunting the hills...

this would be a good time to go

to Isham's ranch and take it apart.

No.

Because Laurie's there?

It'd serve Isham right

if you walked in...

and took her away from

him while he's gone.

- You could do it, you know.

- I have other plans.

Owen, you won't be needing

me anymore. I'm going home.

- Nan, wait!

- Goodbye, everybody. Good luck, Owen.

Nan, I want to talk to you.

I'll be doggone. Maybe

the wind is changing.

Maybe it's going to blow

in a different direction.

If we're gonna take on Skull

in a run and jump fight...

Not that kind of a fight.

There'll never be peace that way.

Peace? The only peace you'll ever

get from Isham is rest in peace.

Shooting is better.

And Skull's so big...

So is a steer big.

But when you're gonna eat him, you first

have to cut him up in little pieces.

I don't care what you want, Mr. Isham.

We've been in the saddle for six

hours, we'll stretch our legs.

We can't stop now

when we may be close.

You know, Mr. Isham, when you're hunting

a man that can shoot like Owen Merritt...

go losing your head, and

you might lose your head.

- Have a drink.

- Thanks.

Sure could go for a shot of

something stronger than water.

So could I.

I just remembered, I got

to go fix a stirrup strap.

Don't move around!

I might miss in the dark,

and I don't like that.

You fellows are only fooling.

- You wouldn't do this to me, would you?

- No, we wouldn't do it to you.

We just wanted you to talk, but

things seem to have got out of hand.

We didn't know the Vird brothers were

such good friends of these people.

I didn't do nothing to

the Vird boys. Tell them.

Cultus Charley, we think

you're going too far maybe.

Maybe.

I can throw closer.

You see, Repp, it's no use.

We three can't fight the whole

bunch in their end of the town.

That's right, Repp.

I can't stop Charley.

Stop him. Please stop him!

He's a yellow coward.

Fay Dutcher killed Juke Vird

the night of the stampede.

- You killed George Vird.

- No, I didn't.

Dutcher did that, too.

Tell the truth, Repp.

Will Isham gave orders for

both killings, didn't he?

I don't know nothing about that.

None of the crew knew Dutcher

was going to kill them fellows.

He laughed at them.

He was still laughing when

they died, cold as ice.

You'll never tie Isham into this.

You may rope Dutcher, but Isham

can always hire a new gunslinger.

- I still think you're lying, Repp.

- I'm not lying.

I know, you're after

Will Isham's hide.

Why don't you ask him

who shot down Hugh Clagg?

That's what you want

to know, ain't it?

- Isham shot Clagg, ain't that right?

- Yeah, that's right.

All right, boys, thanks.

I must talk to Seor Isham.

I saw your man Repp tell Owen

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