The Man from Colorado Page #3

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- Yeah.

We've heard your testimony,

corporal.

- Are there any other witnesses?

- Yes, sir. Me.

All right, Johnny.

My brother Jericho and me

had a claim before the war...

...that we found and staked out

according to miners' law.

Right spang in the middle of what

Ed Carter claims is his now.

- Well, I mean to dig that claim.

- Good boy.

A man's got a right

to keep what he found.

We've heard one side of the case.

Now let's hear the other.

- Mr. Carter.

- Why, yes, Owen. I mean, Your Honour.

Colorado is now a federal territory.

Someday, and someday soon...

...Colorado is going to add another

bright star to that glorious flag.

Let's get to the point.

All right, judge.

I'll get to the point.

Miners' law went out

when federal law came in.

The U.S. government says

a man who doesn't work his claim...

...in any three-year period

loses all rights to that claim.

The judge knows where we've been

the last three years.

I know where you've been.

You can't live on

the war the rest of your lives.

We don't want to. We want what

belonged to us before the war.

No man here can say I haven't acted

in strict accordance with federal law.

Law. Law! That's all we hear.

It's all your law,

all for you and none for us.

You know as well as we do, the only

gold here is on Yellow Mountain.

- Why should he have all of it?

- Yeah, that's right.

- I'd like to get something off my chest.

- All right, go ahead.

I can't argue law, and I won't try to.

But fact is fact.

These men came to Colorado to pan

a fortune, the same as Mr. Carter.

They had property when they left.

Now they're told they lost...

...what they had while

fighting for their country.

They can't work

without their claims.

I'll hire every man honourably

discharged from the regiment.

Hooray! Hire us to work

our own claim.

I'll pay top wages, $60 a month,

cash on the barrelhead.

A man can't live on that.

You come work for me, Ed.

I'll pay you a $65 a month and throw in

a pair of shoes every other Christmas.

Let's have order.

I'm in a peculiar position.

My sympathy and personal feelings...

...are the same as the marshal's.

I know what you men

are up against.

But my personal feelings can't enter

into my decision as a federal judge.

Now, if I ruled in your favour, my...

Well, my decision would be reversed

by a court of appeals.

Now, if there's injustice in the law,

that's a matter for Congress...

...not for this court.

In accordance with the law...

...the lands here in dispute, whose

claimants did no work on them...

...within the three years immediately

preceding the date of this action...

...are public lands

and subject to preemption.

Therefore, I am

compelled to rule...

...that the defendant, the

Great Star Mining Company...

...is legally the owner

of the lands preempted.

Anyone found trespassing on Great

Star Mining Company's property...

...after this date does so in defiance

of the law and at his own risk.

Court is adjourned.

That was quite a session

you let me in for.

I'd hoped it would

turn out differently.

I wish it could have.

Forget about that for now.

There's something more important.

What is it?

Brace yourself.

I'm gonna kick you in the teeth.

You won't like it right at first.

I don't like doing it.

But we've always been on the level,

and I'd like to stay that way.

Caroline and I have decided

to get married a week from today.

I wanted you to know about it before

Caroline gets here in a few minutes.

I won't pull the old line about:

"The best man wins."

Call it the lucky man.

No, Owen.

Isn't Caroline the only one

with the right to say no or yes?

All right. We've always been

on the level with each other.

There's something wrong

with you, Owen.

I don't know what it is exactly.

Maybe you don't know either.

But I think you ought

to go away for a while.

Take a rest. Get hold of yourself.

Go away?

- Take a rest?

- Until you're like your old self again.

You probably think I say this

because I'm in love with Caroline too.

I am. But believe me,

six months from now...

...I'll be best man at the wedding

and give the bride away if you want.

Just not now.

You know, I don't have to take

this kind of talk, Del, even from you.

Yes, you do, Owen.

I'll ask you what

the Rebel major asked you.

Why did you have to kill his men?

Why did you have to kill him?

You can't answer that, can you?

Maybe you don't dare answer it,

even to yourself.

You're sick inside, Owen.

You're too sick to marry.

I'm not sick.

Now, you get that very clear

in your mind. I'm not sick.

I'm not leaving,

now or any other time.

I'm marrying Caroline a week

from today. Don't try to stop it.

You can't marry her the way you are.

You can't do that.

Get out of here. Get out!

Stop it, Owen.

You're acting like a crazy man.

Del.

Left the wedding kind of early,

didn't you?

- Thought I might be of more use here.

- Never needed a doctor less.

Del, you're not making this

any easier on either one of us.

I know how you feel today.

One way, I can't blame you.

Doc, this marriage is all wrong.

You know as well as I do, Owen isn't fit

to marry Caroline or anyone else.

If anything on earth will get Owen

straightened out, it's this marriage.

He needs her. Her love can cure him,

if nothing else will.

- I wish I could believe that.

- I believe it.

Just so you don't go back on him,

walk out on Owen.

I'm not gonna quit my job,

if that's what you mean.

I feel better

hearing you say that, Del.

Runaway! Runaway! Runaway!

I'll be right back, dear.

All right, folks, stand back.

Come on, give them room.

Now, take it easy with him.

Tom! Tom Barton!

Come on out of it, now, Tom!

The gold's gone! Cleaned out!

Well, bring him to!

Do something!

Come on, Tom, talk!

What happened to the gold shipment?

Gone. Two men...

...uniforms.

Couldn't see faces.

They had masks.

I shot one.

Two men in uniform. Go on, Tom.

Tom!

He's dead.

You heard him, marshal.

Two men in uniform.

You'd better get a posse together.

I want volunteers.

- Come on, speak up!

- You got me, marshal, for one.

- I will as soon as I get my gun.

- I'm in.

- All right, I'm in.

- Me too.

- I thought we made a deal.

- We did.

Then what's the idea of the gun?

I'd look pretty silly going along

without one. Let's go.

Let's have your gun.

Get off that horse, quick.

Turn around.

Now walk.

And while you're walking,

say your prayers.

Dismissed, "colonel"!

What happened?

Where's your horse?

- He threw me and got away.

- I'll pick him up.

Forget it.

- What do we do with him, judge?

- Plenty of trees right handy.

There'll be no lynching.

That's right, marshal.

There'll be no lynching.

This man is entitled to a trial.

He'll have it, right here and now.

Hello, Johnny.

Has Jericho been around?

He's not here.

And he's not gonna be here.

I hope you're right.

- Want a drink?

- I'm particular who I drink with.

So am I.

I don't drink with a man

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