Ride the high country Page #5

I'm gonna get you.

- Come back, Elsa. Come back.|- Come back, girl.

Come on, get your bride.|Billy, get your bride.

Hold it!

Let her go.

- Where are you going with my wife?|- She'll stay with us.

- I'm taking her to her father in the morning.|- Like hell she will.

You can't take a wife from her husband.

Clear case of breaking and entering.

Elsa's legally married to Billy. Right?

I now pronounce you man and wife.

- And don't you forget it.|- Go along, Elsa.

Heck.

You're not leaving this camp with her.|I'll promise you that.

Go home, Billy.

What happened? You all right, Billy?

Where is she? Where is she?|I'll kill him. I'll kill him.

- Billy!|- Where'd he go with her?

- Come on.|- Why'd you let him get away with her?

The marriage didn't work.|We have to take her to her father.

- Steve, we've got our hands full already.|- I don't like it any better than you do.

Too big, huh?

What are they doing there?

We're willing to abide|by the court's decision if you are.

We'll abide.

Don't be scared.

- What's wrong?|- Billy Hammond wants Elsa.

They appointed a miners' court|to decide it.

- Miners' court?|- That's the law, places like this.

- Who says?|- They do.

And there's a lot more of them|than there are of us.

Billy's sorry about last night.

Swears it won't happen again. I believe him.

- I wouldn't believe Billy...|- I don't wanna go back to him.

You were legally married|of your own free will.

Please. You can't let him|take me back. You can't.

But whatever they decide,|that will have to be it.

That don't have to be it. She's not|going with him. She stays with us.

She stays here!|We're packing gold, not petticoats.

If she stays, I stay.

Well, let's hope the court|lets her go with us.

Otherwise, we'll be a little short-handed.

All right, gentlemen, we can proceed.

In the first place, I married this gal here last|night, right up on the hill in Kate's Place.

- You saw Judge Tolliver...|- Where can I find Judge Tolliver?

- At the end of the hall, mister.|- He married us legal and proper.

Easy. Sit up.

A little more.

Thank you, sir.

What can I do for you?

Clear up a little technicality,|if you will.

About that marriage last night.

They're holding a miners' court,|and they'll wanna know if it was legal.

- Of course it was legal.|- Well, I believe that.

But the court may want proof,|in the form of a license.

You got one?

Signed by the governor of California.

Yes, sir, there's no question at all|about the legality of this document.

Now, when you testify|before that miners' court...

...I'm gonna ask you one question:

"Do you possess a license|to marry people in California?"

And you're gonna answer, "No."|Am I clear?

- That's a lie.|- No, it isn't. You don't possess it. I do.

- Now, see here...|- Listen to me!

You're gonna do as you're told.|Understand?

Now, do you recall the question|I'm gonna ask?

And what do you answer?

No.

Very good.

Let's go.

According to the law,|she's still married to Billy Hammond.

You and the law.|She can get it nullified.

Will that satisfy|your ironbound code of ethics?

My code satisfies pretty easy, partner.

Would it surprise you to know|that I was once a lawbreaker?

Well, bless my stars.

About the age of that boy back there.|Skinny as a snake and just about as mean.

Ran with the Hole-in-the-Wall bunch.

Gun-happy, looking for trouble|or a pretty ankle.

Had the world by the tail,|so to speak.

Then one night,|Paul Staniford picked me up.

He was sheriff of Madera County then.

There'd been a fight, and I was drunk.|Sicker than a fat dog.

He dried me out in jail,|and then we went out back...

...and he proceeded to kick|the bitter hell right out of me.

That took some doing.

Not much. You see,|he was right, I was wrong.

That makes the difference.

Who says so?

Nobody. That's something you just know.

Anyhow, when I was able to walk again,|I realized I'd learned a lesson from him.

The value of self-respect.

What's that worth on the open market?

Nothing to some people,|but a great deal to me.

But I lost it.

These last years, the only work|I was able to get was places like Kate's.

Bartender, stick man, bouncer,|what have you.

Not much to brag on.

Now I'm getting back|a little respect for myself.

I intend to keep it with the help of you|and that boy back there.

- Good to be working again, Gil.|- Yeah.

You know what's on the back|of a poor man when he dies?

The clothes of pride.

And they're not a bit warmer to him dead|than they were when he was alive.

Is that all you want, Steve?

All I want is to enter my house justified.

Thank you.

Will you stay in town|when we get back?

I'm not just certain. Why?

You're right, kid. I've been wasting|my breath. Tonight we move.

- I don't know.|- You don't know what?

I started out thinking|he was an old mossback...

...but I changed my mind.|Kind of hate to turn against him.

Are you with me or not?

- What will happen to Elsa?|- He'll deliver her.

The thing for you to remember|is that we made a deal.

Yes, sir.

It all pointed this way.

All that talk about old Doc Franklin,|ungrateful citizens.

- What we had coming but never got paid.|- It's the truth, isn't it, Steve?

I knew in my bones what you were|aiming for, but I wouldn't believe it.

I kept telling myself|you were a good man.

- You were my friend.|- This is bank money, not yours.

And what they don't know|won't hurt them.

Not them. Only me!

Take off your gun belt|and toss it over here.

What are you gonna do?

You always fancied yourself|faster than me.

Go ahead, draw.

Draw, you damned tinhorn!

That was your second mistake...

...and the last chance|you'll ever get from me.

I'm gonna put you behind bars, Gil.

You'll play hell getting it done.

Move!

My, oh, my, will you look who's here.

Howdy. You made pure fools out of us,|stealing that license from Tolliver.

The judge says there's another one|on file in Sacramento.

That means she's still my wife.|Come on, honey, let's go home.

She stays with us.

Looks to me like you been|having some trouble.

Looks to me like somebody got their finger|caught in the cookie jar.

You're short-handed, old-timer,|but she's all we want.

All we want,|provided we get her now.

- You heard me.|- We'll get her, sooner or later.

Like hell you will!

You better cut yourself a switch,|Mr. Longtree.

I don't think you|could handle me barehanded.

You all are gonna get yourself|a chance to try, directly.

Come on.

Do I have your word you'll return your gun|when this is over?

Yes, sir, I reckon you do.

- I'll go along.|- You bet you'll go along.

- We're moving into the rocks.|- Steve!

Shut up! Move!

Move out!

You're really showing your age.

Back in the old days, you'd have checked|those rifles before we left camp.

I'll get around behind them.

Don't waste your time.|They're too far away.

He's going around behind us.|Cut me loose and give me a gun.

I'll get a rifle for you.

Start shooting.

Sylvus!

Sylvus!

- He was carrying a rifle.|- Let's get out of here!

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