The Big Country Page #7

When Henry Terrill comes

a-bustin' in here this time,

that's gonna be the prettiest sight

my ageing eyeballs ever beheld.

He's gonna be the most surprised

dead man you ever saw.

So that's why you've done this.

Well, it's a sorry Sunday when

the granddaughter of Clem Maragon

forces me to go against the gentle

teachings that I was brung up with.

But you let Henry Terrill

run my cows off of the Big Muddy

and 24 of 'em died of thirst

before I could take a breath.

I let Henry Terrill?

I've stood by every promise

my grandfather ever made!

She's pretty when she's

like that, ain't she, Pa?

Now listen, young lady,

I aim to get my cows back to water!

I'm a law-abidin' man.

That is, if there's any law

to abide by.

Now I aim to do this thing

nice and legal.

Take off your hat.

Now...

How would you like to marry

my boy Buck there?

He's a fine, upstandin' young fella.

And then we could have the

Big Muddy all in the family, huh?

You must be out of your mind!

Well, he's got some rough edges,

I know, but...

from what he tells me,

maybe you wouldn't mind to

smooth 'em off a little bit, huh?

Don't act like you're doin' me

no favour.

Maybe I could learn you a little,

teacher.

Sweet on you, huh?!

Well, if you ain't the mother

and father of all liars!

Well now, Miss Maragon,

if this son of mine is so offensive

to your delicate sensibilities,

there's more than one way to tree a coon.

Now, uh,

if you want to get yourself outta here,

and if you want to stop a slaughter,

now... you just, uh, just sign this.

It's a bill of sale of the Big Muddy

at a fair price.

Now take me home.

What's goin' on here?

For six years I've been tryin'

to get you to...

And now you just sign it like that.

Are you tyin' knots in my tail?

Speak up!

Big Muddy isn't mine to sell,

Mr. Hannassey.

Girl, you're tryin'

the edge of my patience.

I mean it. I don't own the Big Muddy.

That paper's worthless,

so you might as well take me home.

You gone and sold it to Terrill.

I wouldn't sell it to the Terrills

any more than I'd sell it to you.

I did the one thing I could to try

and bring peace and sanity here.

I sold it to a man nobody

can ride roughshod over.

- To who?

- I sold it to Jim McKay.

The dude! Terrill's son-in-law, Pa.

Same difference.

No wonder they drove our cows off.

- I sold it to him with the promise...

- Peace, you say!

Tryin' to make a fool of me, girl?

He's not marrying a Terrill.

He's not marrying anybody.

Now there's your dinner, if you want it.

If not, the bed is in there.

Let me take you to him.

Talk to him. He'll tell you himself.

You don't get outta here that easy.

I still don't know how much truth

you just told me,

but don't you never look down

your nose at me or mine again!

If my conscience was bothering me,

it ain't no more.

What happens here tomorrow

is on your head,

not mine.

It's no use.

A coyote couldn't slip through

that canyon.

There ain't no Hannasseys

sleepin' tonight.

I was saving this for Terrill's neck.

But, in a manner of speaking,

it'll serve the same purpose.

- Does everybody know the signals?

- You bet.

Right!

No! Don't!

Do I make you sick? Hm? Do I?

Get out!

Crawl! You act like a dog,

crawl like one!

Crawl, I said! Crawl!

You've pressed me for the last time,

hear me? For the last time!

Pa, I mean it!

Don't you press me no more!

Someday... Someday I'll have to kill you.

Thanks. I'll be back in a day or two.

Thank you.

Now don't get lost.

Mr. McKay!

Ramn!

What brings you to town?

It's a big trouble.

Very bad. The major...

What took you so long, Steve?

See anything?

Plenty. Major, they're ready

and waitin' for us.

There must be a rifle

behind every rock in that canyon.

We can handle anything they've got.

- We're going in.

- Major...

When I think of that poor,

defenceless girl in their filthy hands...

Steve, we'll earn the gratitude of

every decent person in this country

if we put an end to them,

once and for all.

Where are those other men you sent for?

Should've been here an hour ago.

We're gonna need every one of 'em.

Well, I won't wait much longer.

Somebody comin', Major!

Well, look who we have here.

The new owner of the Big Muddy.

You certainly cover

a lot of territory, McKay.

Where do you think you're going?

I'm going into Blanco Canyon.

That's a fine place for a man who

goes out of his way to avoid a fight.

What business do you have

in Blanco Canyon?

Miss Maragon is being held there. I think

I can bring her out without any violence.

You're not going in there, McKay.

That's for me to decide.

I'm telling you for the last time,

you're staying here.

I'm going in. If you want to stop me,

you'll have to use that.

But, if you shoot me down,

let's have it clear,

in front of all these men.

You're not here to get Julie Maragon out.

You're just using this for an excuse

to start your own private war.

Major...

Major!

You can't do it.

Let him go.

He won't get in there far enough

to open his mouth.

If he wants to get himself killed,

let the Hannasseys do it.

It's the dude.

- Stay here.

- Right.

How do you like Blanco Canyon? Huh?

Hell of a place for a sailor!

You wanna see him dead

right in front of your eyes?

Then you tell him you come here cos

you wanted to and you ain't leavin', see?

You let on anything else, I'll kill him.

Hello, Mr. Hannassey. I'm Jim McKay.

I know who you are.

This is a different kind of party

we're havin' here today.

Not as elegant as the major's shindig,

but it's gonna be a lot more lively.

Now, may I ask what

brings you here - uninvited?

I've come to take Miss Maragon home.

Mister, you've got more gall than brains.

You just rode by a passel of guns,

and you got a couple on you right now.

Just what is your notion

of why Miss Maragon is here?

We both know why Miss Maragon

is here, Mr. Hannassey.

My cows are waterin'

on the Big Muddy again.

Pretty soon I'm gonna have

Henry Terrill where I want him,

if that's what you mean.

Then you've got no more reason

to hold her here.

I own the Big Muddy now.

I give you my word you can have

all the water you want.

- Have you got any proof of that, boy?

- Right here.

Just hold your seat. Buck?

Buck'll do the lookin'

Well, whatta we got here?

The deed's in my coat.

Ain't them real pretty!

Look, Pa, toy pistols.

Gentlemen's weapons.

You come loaded for bear,

didn't you, boy?

Just what did you expect

to do with these?

Buck, look in his coat.

It's been recorded.

If this ain't a frosty Friday.

I've been tryin' to get my hands on

this deed since Clem Maragon died.

What about my promise? All the water

you want, just as long as you want it.

You've got the looks of a man

that means what he says.

But this ain't just a matter of water.

The Hannasseys will have no peace

till the bones of Henry Terrill

is bleachin' in Blanco Canyon!

Now, he started this blood-spillin',

and I aim to finish it!

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