Tall in the Saddle Page #5

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Red was a gambler.

Oh, yeah. A mighty poor one, I reckon.

Still, you'd have to say

him and Garvey were friends.

Anything ever happen

to make you think they weren't?

Rock, I'm going to tell you something

I ain't told nobody before.

Sure you can trust me?

Last time I seen old Red

was the day he died.

It was in town.

He just come out of the stage office.

Tried to book passage for Garden City,

but couldn't on account of I had a full load.

Sir, he took me aside

and read me a printed piece of paper.

It was from one of them

Chicago sporting firms...

explaining how to manipulate

trick playing cards.

- Marked cards.

- Yeah.

Seemed Red found the cards

and this paper...

in the pocket of a coat

he borrowed from a friend once.

- Whose coat was it?

- Now, that's just what I asked.

All he said was

it belonged to a good friend.

He said he wasn't waiting

for the next stage...

but riding over to see the district judge

about it alone.

And that's when they got him?

Yeah. Just a mile or so from Stan's place.

A bullet in his back, pockets empty.

How come you never told anybody before?

Who was I going to tell? Sheriff Jackson?

How about what's-his-name, Harolday?

He's no friend of Garvey's, is he?

Hates his guts.

Sure riles him to see young Clint

hanging on the Judge's coattails.

All the same, I decided to keep

my mouth shut and my eyes open.

Even if it was Garvey

that Red was talking about...

don't follow that he killed him.

No. General opinion is, it was rustlers.

You all right?

Doggone it! I will be if I ever get dry.

- Hey, Look at that!

- Get down!

Jumping Jeremiah! Look at that!

Come on.

My team.

That's not your team. Come on.

You can't run him down afoot!

Maybe he'll double back.

Not bad shooting.

You think I did that?

Cutting it mighty close, though.

Good thing I haven't got brains enough

to fill it.

It's too bad you had to come up here

through that storm for nothing.

I haven't minded a bit...

because I came up here to fire you!

I see.

Harolday does the hiring...

and you do the firing.

I own the Topaz, not Harolday.

Now get out of here

and don't ever come back!

Mind if I wait for Dave?

He'll be along any minute.

Be funny if he winged

that shadow of yours.

If you mean Tala, you're loco.

He's not even up here.

You came up alone?

Yes.

Then who was that we took out after?

Whoever shot at you.

- Who was it?

- I don't know.

- You mean you won't tell.

- I mean I don't know!

Why should I lie to you?

Reckon you forgot something.

You just fired me.

Rock, he got away, but guess...

what.

You guess.

For a man that's got a despise for women,

you sure do get all snaggled up with them.

- You work for Harolday?

- Yes.

Here's one of his horses.

That's my saddle. I'll pick it up in a minute.

Howdy.

I thought I sent you up to Tabletop.

- That's right.

- What happened?

This, for one thing.

I told you, you should've killed him

when you had the chance.

Clews?

What's the matter?

Don't you think it was him?

Well, I've been figuring...

and it don't seem reasonable...

that Clews was in a condition

to take that sort of a chance alone.

Besides, how would he have known

I was up there that soon?

George Clews is not the only one

I've run contrariwise to in this town.

There's that shadow

of your stepdaughter's, for instance.

Tala?

Then there's... him.

Hello, Clint.

I just heard that Rocklin was...

- Was what?

- Was shot at last night.

Yeah, Mr. Rocklin

was just telling me all about it.

You haven't any idea

who might have done it, have you?

Not me.

You ain't trying to pin it on me?

Because if you are,

you're in for a big disappointment.

I was over at the Sunup...

playing poker with the Judge

and the boys till early morning.

If you don't believe me, ask for yourself.

I believe you.

But that don't mean you couldn't tell

a thing or two as would help...

if you wanted.

- What do you mean?

- Yeah, what would Clint know about it?

How about this?

Ever see it before?

Go on, speak up.

Did you ever see it before?

No, of course I didn't.

Quit riding me. I don't know, I tell you!

Just because I had a run-in with you

over a game of cards...

that don't mean I'd sneak up on you

in the dark and...

By the way...

I was fired last night...

by the boss.

Clint, I don't know

what I'm going to do with you.

You cause me nothing but trouble.

The way you lied about that pouch

wouldn't have deceived a 6-year-old.

- I was...

- My advice to you...

is to get out of town for a while,

till this thing blows over.

You'll find some money in my safe

at the ranch.

Take what you need, and put the key

back in the desk drawer. Go ahead.

Mr. Rocklin, I'm so glad I found you.

I feel perfectly awful

running after you like this, but I...

You got troubles?

Come on in.

It's all right.

- Now, what is it?

- My aunt found out I wrote you.

She made a terrible scene.

You haven't signed everything

over to that Garvey, have you?

No, but because I refused...

she said she's sign an affidavit

saying I'm still underage.

And as my guardian,

she can do whatever she likes.

You got anything to prove

you're not underage?

Mr. Garvey has a letter that will prove it.

My aunt wrote it before we came out here.

You suppose we could get it?

He'd never give it to me.

- Wait here.

- Please, you...

You won't go getting yourself into trouble,

will you?

I mean, I'd rather give up everything

than...

That takes care of that.

All we have to do is make the affidavit...

and everything will be just as we want it.

I certainly hope so. Of course,

it's not myself I'm concerned about.

Of course. Now, let me see...

"I, Elizabeth... "

Mr. Rocklin, this is indeed a surprise.

I understood

you were riding for the Topaz.

That's right.

Miss Martin, perhaps we can finish

our business at some later date.

Would you excuse us, please?

I came for that letter.

- Letter?

- The one Miss Martin wrote...

from back east,

saying the girl was of age, remember?

No, I don't believe I do.

Mr. Rocklin, let me ask you a question.

Just what is your interest in this letter?

My only interest is getting it.

You realize what this is, don't you?

It's robbery.

Armed robbery, at that.

I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

Yours?

- Open up.

- There's nothing there that concerns you.

I'd like to make up my own mind

about that.

All right, I'll open it, just to convince you

that I'm not hiding any letter.

- What's the idea?

- These cards.

Is there anything unusual about a man

having a deck of cards in his possession?

Depends on what kind they are.

Especially when they're under

lock and key.

- You're taking them with you, I presume.

- That's right.

- Now you look here...

- You're the one that better start looking...

for a way out for killing Red Cardell.

Red Cardell?

He found out about these

and you killed him.

And you believe a story like that?

I will till I hear a better one.

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