The Big Country Page #4

Come here!

Don't you dare look at me like that, boy.

I'll take your hide off!

Who asked you to go roughin' up

old Terrill's son-in-law?

You said to keep pushin' the Terrills...

You push 'em when I say so,

when I'm ready.

They come a-hellin' in here, shootin' up

the place when I'm not around.

- I never knowed nothin' like that...

- You never knowed nothin' ever!

Where you been all night?

I paid a visit to my schoolteacher.

You're a liar. She was at Terrill's.

I seen her before.

We were sparkin' and kissin'

Julie Maragon's a lady.

Maybe, but she's sweet on me, Pa.

Could it be there's a side to you

that I ain't never seen?

You ain't lyin' to me again,

are you, boy?

Ain't no cause to lie.

Maybe I'm smarter'n you think, Pa.

Don't forget, she owns Big Muddy.

I ain't forgettin' that.

That'd be somethin', boy,

if you was to marry Julie Maragon.

That'd be a miracle sure enough.

Keep after her. Be nice.

Stop womenin' around in Rafael.

Treat her right.

Take a bath sometime.

Maybe we got us somethin' here

that'll snuff old Terrill out for good.

Treat her right, ya hear me?

- Right, I said!

- Yeah, Pa. I will.

Look, there's the mountain behind here.

But it's too dangerous

to ride alone. You get lost.

- You ever seen a compass?

- Yeah, sure!

Oh, what a funny watch!

A watch only tells the time.

This tells me where I'm going

and how to get back.

Not out here.

Even out here.

Now don't forget, Ramn.

You tell Pat and the major

that I may be out overnight.

I've got everything I need,

and they shouldn't worry.

All right.

Didn't you warn him

that he might get lost?

Sure, I told him. And I told him

all the country was the same.

Then how could you possibly let him go?

- He's pretty smart man.

- But he's a stranger here.

- I don't think he get lost.

- And what makes you think he won't?

- Well, speak up.

- He say not to worry.

He says he's coming back.

And by the way, you know,

he's got a funny watch.

Ramn, you're an idiot.

Come on, show me the way he went.

How could Jim do a thing like that to me?

He must be lost by now.

Yeah. That'd be a real

sure enough shame.

Now wouldn't it?

If you ever touch me again...!

What are you gonna do, Miss Terrill?

Sic your bridegroom on me?

You get out of here!

Don't worry, I'm goin'

I'll even get up a search party and

go find your wanderin' boy for ya.

He can have ya!

I can see you two are just

plain made for each other!

Hold it right there!

Put up your hands.

Turn around.

Jim McKay!

What in the world are you doing here?

Just haunting an old house, ma'am.

You're too noisy for a ghost.

Where's Pat? Surely you're not

riding around here alone?

If you tell me this is a big country,

I'll be disappointed in you.

But it is a big country. And you

shouldn't be wandering by yourself.

People have gotten lost

out here, you know.

I had a map.

You're either east or west of the river,

north or south of the road,

and I had a compass.

So, I just plotted a course

and navigated my way here.

Well, welcome aboard, skipper.

This must've been a fine

old house in its day.

People used to come from a hundred

miles to my grandfather's parties.

I come out here when I can,

stay in that old cottage down there.

Why don't you come down

and visit for a while?

I'll get my horse.

- No luck, huh?

- Not a sign of him, Major.

We covered every foot of ground

between here and the high range.

What do you mean?

A man just doesn't disappear.

Have you tried?

Have you really tried?

We really tried, Miss Terrill.

We couldn't find him.

Then start out again, all of you.

Maybe he was thrown. He may be hurt.

Well, you don't just give up!

All right, we'll take

every man we can spare.

I'll take a sweep out toward the canyon.

You head for the south boundary.

You figure he'd be fool enough

to go there?

How do I know? If he's crazy enough to

ride out alone in a strange country...

I don't understand this man, Steve.

All right, let's go.

- That was fine.

- More?

No, thanks. Nope.

I didn't realise Buck Hannassey

was that rough on you.

In addition to Mr. Hannassey,

I had a little trouble with a horse.

- They put you on Old Thunder?

- That's the one.

That sounds like Steve Leech to me.

No, he's not to blame.

It was my own idea.

He's a rough man, Steve. The whole

country's betting on what will happen

when he and Buck Hannassey

finally fight.

I suppose you think

we're pretty uncivilised?

No.

People laying bets as to which

of two men will kill the other?

On my last voyage a man fell overboard,

and while they were picking him up

the crew was making bets as to

which would get to him first:

the lifeboat or the sharks.

What happened?

- Do you really wanna know?

- Sure.

It was hard to tell who won.

Both sides claimed the money.

Shall I go on?

Go on.

The boat got the man,

but the sharks got the legs.

They finally decided that more of him

was saved than was lost,

and they settled the bets accordingly.

Now let me tell you one.

There was a Comanche massacre

right on this ranch in the early days.

They took the survivors and buried them

alive up to their necks. Shall I go on?

Go on.

In ant hills.

Red-ant hills.

Now what was the point of your story?

How'd you like to show me around?

Do we ride or do we walk?

Mr. McKay, any ranch that you can see

on foot just isn't worth looking at.

- Good pony you've got there.

- He's a good old fella.

- Belongs to Ramn Gutirrez.

- Oh, Ramn!

- You know him?

- Sure, he used to work for us.

Put me on my first pony.

Almost put me on my last!

Well, here it is.

This is what makes Maragon

the best land in the state.

A present from the king of Spain

to my great-grandfather.

- I hope you're properly impressed.

- Yes, ma'am. I certainly am.

Hey... Trout?

No. Catfish.

Tell me about this man Hannassey.

The things he said at the party...

are they true?

Some of them are.

During the dry season the Hannasseys,

and sometimes even the Terrills,

depend on Big Muddy for water.

Grandfather always gave them both

access to it whenever they needed it.

What would happen if you sold

the place to Major Terrill?

It would mean bloodshed.

Major Terrill would refuse

to give water to the Hannasseys.

I love this place, but sometimes

I wish I could get rid of it.

Old Rufus and the major hate each other.

If either one of them were

to get control of Big Muddy,

I'm afraid to think of what would happen.

What does it take to become a rancher?

Suppose a fellow like myself were to

settle out here... what would he need?

Well, the land first, of course.

The beginning of a good cow herd,

couple hundred to start with.

Good bulls, and about

a hundred miles of fence.

- Hundred miles?

- Well, this is a...

- Big country.

- Big country.

You're serious, Jim.

What else would I need?

Top hands.

A good foreman to run things for you

while you learn the ropes.

Uh-huh.

- Jim, I can't sell Big Muddy to you.

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