River of No Return Page #5

Drop your cartridge belt.

Get the stuff aboard.

Take that rifle, son.

All right, come on.

What's all this for?

As soon as he gets to that point,

you can run after him.

- Are you gonna count?

- I can subtract two men from two horses

and have two horses left for myself,

if you like it better that way.

- You got the knife, Calder.

- I got it from you.

All right. Now you can get out.

I hope this river don't kill you, Calder.

I hope it leaves you for me.

Too crowded around here.

I'm not asleep.

Here. Drinkthis.

Make you feel better.

Careful, that's the last of it.

Is that all it's the last of?

Drink it.

I'll split it with you.

I get everybody into trouble.

You mean Colby?

You couldn't help that.

You'll never be able to help that.

Besides, it isn'tyou. It's the gold.

It made a thief of Weston,

a pig out of Colby and a fool of you.

One thing aboutyou, though.

You get somebody in trouble,

you get right in it with 'em.

Only trouble should getyou somewhere.

- It never gets me anything.

- Sure it does. It gets you more of the same.

Not some people.

- You mean Weston?

- Yes.

He's going to get someplace,

no matter what it takes.

- Is that why you married him?

- What do you care?

You lose your ring?

You know everything, don'tyou?

Like the kid says.

It's nothing to me.

No. We're not married.

We were gonna be married in Council City.

We're never gonna get there, are we?

Like you said, who gets anywhere?

The boy's asleep. You can tell me now.

I would have said we'd never get here.

Finish it.

You're a strange man.

Sometimes not like a man at all.

- Like an animal?

- No, I didn't mean that.

I didn't mean it either, backthere.

You know, you're sort of

on the strange side yourself.

You'd have been surer

of getting to Council City with Colby.

Why didn'tyou go with him?

You have to ask? A man like that?

Well, what's a man like Weston?

How would you know?

How would you know anything about him?

What he wanted all of his life,

or what he's been?

You only knowthe one thing he did to you.

The one crazy thing,

because he was desperate.

- About a hunk of gold.

- About his life!

You can't even see the difference

between him and that man backthere.

Are they waiting for us?

The fish have a better chance.

Or him.

Why can't they get along without us?

They just wanna make sure of it.

- Did you see 'em?

- I sawthe one with the man's horse.

- What man?

- Colby.

Those birds.

- They're buzzards?

- Yeah.

Look!

Can they come down?

As soon as they find the right place.

They'll know where it is.

Hand me that rifle, son.

(gunshots)

Look out!

(gunshot)

(whooping)

Matt! Over there!

Give me the rifle.

It's all gone!

(screams)

Get the rope!

Well, there it is. That's Council City.

- What do you want when we get there?

- A cup of coffee. A whole cup for myself.

You've got it.

What do you want?

- You're still going after him, aren'tyou?

- You knowthat.

- Nothing I could say would change it.

- Nothing.

Then I want one thing.

Let me find him first and talkto him.

Let me see him alone and explain.

That isn't much, is it?

It might be all he needs.

Just a few minutes, a little time.

All right, Kay. You've got it.

- You never believed we would make it.

- Not very often.

I knew you would. I knewthat if a man hated

as much as you did, he could do anything.

- Or loved as much.

- Loved what?

Him. It was for him. Not for a horse

or a gun or the man who tookthem.

That's just how it began.

I guess that must be the best thing there is.

- What?

- To be loved that much.

(Mark) Look! Here's our horse!

- Well, it looks like he's here.

- I was hoping he wasn't.

- I was hoping he'd gone backto your place.

- No chance.

- But why did he stay here?

- Because he knew I'd never make it.

Matt Calder!

I thoughtyou was down there on your farm...

with a tomahawk in your head.

No, I like to keep my head.

It's about the only thing I've got left.

That's a fine animal. Who belongs to it?

Fella named Weston.

- Where can I find him?

- Across the street at the Black Nugget.

Say, you look like

you could stand a shotyourself.

No, but we could use some coffee.

You got any?

Got everything but pt de foie gras.

Come on in.

- He's at the Black Nugget.

- Yes.

- Don't be too long.

- No.

Tell him I'm here.

He can run but he can't hide.

He won't run. Just talkto him.

Give yourself a chance to find out.

I'm giving you the chance.

Where's she going?

She'll be back.

Come on. Let's get that coffee.

( piano)

Kay! Honey!

Why didn'tyou start back, Harry?

I thought I was doing pretty good

just to make it to here.

Have a seat.

How'd you get here?

- Calder?

- Yes.

- All right. Where is he?

- He's at the store having coffee.

- He's waiting.

- For me?

For us.

He let me see you alone first.

First? Before what?

You oughta know by now.

- Would you like something?

- No.

Nothing, Jack.

Well, what's there to talk about?

He could have you hanged for whatyou did.

He could kill you

and nobody would blame him.

I might.

I told him why you did it, what it was

that made both of us the way we were.

I think he believed me at last.

Now it's up to you. You have to tell him, too.

- Tell him what?

- The truth, Harry.

Thatyou were desperate. Thatyou

didn't mean to harm him or the boy.

What makes you think he'll listen to me?

Because of the kind of man he is,

and because of the boy.

Or because of you?

Look, honey. I got the claim filed.

We can get rich and get outta here for ever.

Unless you were thinking you two

could hang me and have the claim together?

I didn't mean that, honey.

I mean that all my life I've been nothing.

A drifter, a cheater, a tinhorn.

All my life, I waited for the one

big chance a man gets, and this is mine.

I'm not gonna lose it or risk it

or go backto being what I was before,

or get strung up just because

some dirt farmer wants his horse back.

That's what I mean.

All right, Kay, I'll talkto him.

- What's that for?

- In case he's hard of hearing.

All right, Kay. Any way you want it.

Too bad aboutyour place, Matt.

Bad for me, good for you, Ben.

It all depends on whose ox gets gold.

- What'll you need?

- Just about everything my credit'll stand.

- Take whatyou want.

- Thanks.

They're all kinda crazy, ain't they?

- What's that, Ben?

- The times.

White men chasin' gold.

Indians chasin' white men.

Army chasin' the Indians.

If you like that rifle, keep it.

What are you chasin', Matt?

Don't try to buy him, Harry. Don't offer

him anything. Just tell him the truth.

Are you listening to me, Harry?

Harry, no!

I... I... I had to!

It's all right, Mark. It's all right.

You saw it! You know.

There was no other way, Mark.

It was him or your dad.

- Where's she goin'?

- I don't know.

- Is she goin' away now?

- I don't know.

Mm-mm-hm

If you listen, you can hear it call

Wailaree

There is a river

Called the River of No Return

Sometimes it's peaceful

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