The Man from Colorado Page #4

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that just hung a friend of mine.

I didn't hang anybody, Johnny.

Oh, Mutton McGuire just put a rope

around his own neck.

That's about what he did.

There's no man who got anything but

the worst of it going against the law.

Mutton McGuire was a good soldier.

He was a good man.

Kind of a bad man to imitate.

- How are you, corporal?

- I get along.

I figured you'd be

on the other side of the bridge.

Celebrating victory for law, order

and Judge Devereaux.

I've got nothing to celebrate.

Johnny. Come on.

Johnny!

Go on out back.

Somebody's waiting to see you.

- Jericho?

- Yeah.

He's got his nerve,

coming right into town after today.

He brought half a dozen horses in,

looking for men to ride them.

I told him I'd go with him.

Any of you men feel like

joining up with us?

Sixty a month's not much.

Especially for digging gold out of

my own claim that Carter jumped.

But at least it's honest money.

It's better than getting hung,

like Mutton McGuire.

It's better if you're not man

enough to fight for what's yours.

It's not good enough for me.

You've got yourself one man anyhow.

Make that two.

Better keep out of this.

You've got a wife and kids.

I got nobody to hold me back.

If we can't get our rights by the law,

take them without.

- That all?

- I'll go with you.

I'd like to go, but I can't do it.

Too much to think of at home.

All right, think of it.

- I'm ready too.

- Come on!

- I wish you boys luck.

- You'll sure need it.

- You're looking pretty good, kid.

- I'm all right.

- How you been?

- Not too bad, considering.

You're as thin as a starved cat.

I guess it's from missing

the old Army beans.

Here, I figured that maybe you could

use some eating supplies yourself.

- Gold! Well, where'd you get it?

- Off our claim.

I dug it out of one

of Big Ed's hired hands.

Same place I got the horses.

- Here's your army, Jericho.

- Hi, Jericho.

- You sure you want to do this?

- We're sure.

- Might as well get what we can.

- Nothing left for us here.

Hey!

- Get down off of there.

- Jericho, don't make me.

They're grown men with nothing

to lose but their necks.

- You're a kid. You still got a chance.

- But...

There's only us two Howards

left in this world.

One of us is gonna live to be

a granddad. Now, come on.

So long, kid. Behave yourself.

What did you wish, Caroline?

Just that Del could be here.

I asked him to come,

but he said he was too busy.

It just doesn't seem right,

not being here for my birthday.

Oh, well...

Trouble is, you could

only marry one of us.

If I didn't know how you really felt

about Del, I'd think you were jealous.

Eat your cake.

I'll go.

Howdy, ma'am.

We'd like to see the judge.

He's just having his dinner.

That's all right, Caroline.

Come on in.

- Well, what is it?

- We got fired today.

Ed Carter's gun guards

run us off the property.

Why were you fired?

There's been too many holdups...

...and we've been too friendly

to Jericho Howard.

That's what Ed Carter says.

Well, I'm afraid it's up to him

to say who works for him.

Sure. But, judge, we're abiding

by the law you laid down.

Even though we're digging

our own gold for Ed Carter...

...we do it for our families.

We've done nothing to get fired for.

Except they used to be

my brother's friends. Used to be!

Calm down, Johnny.

You men can't blame Mr. Carter

for taking precautions.

I don't blame him for anything.

I blame you.

Jericho was all right till you

broke him. Why'd you break him?

Just because you won't let

any man stand up to you.

He's running the hills

because you drove him to it.

Him and the others.

Good men that fought hard for you.

But you treated them like dirt.

Any man's dirt to you, you're so crazy

with power. Just plain crazy!

That's enough! Get out.

Maybe you don't believe it, judge,

but there's two kinds of justice:

Yours and other people's.

Just don't forget that!

Get out!

Owen, I've never seen you like this.

The men didn't mean anything.

Johnny Howard's just a boy so worried

about his brother he doesn't know...

I wouldn't worry too much about him.

He's just on edge.

- Any man that...

- I think you'd better go, Doc.

Why can't you leave me alone?

That's five.

Your five...

...and five more.

I'll...

...fold.

I'll raise five more.

That's right, just sit still.

Which one of you knows

how to open that safe?

I'll give you one minute

to make up your mind.

You got a half a minute left.

Easy.

Nice and easy.

All right, that's plenty.

Tell Mr. Carter

I'm leaving him two sacks...

...to pay his expenses

for digging up our gold.

Sit down and finish your game before

you start to raise any commotion.

They ride into town, they ride out

again with $90,000 of my money.

What's done about it?

Absolutely nothing!

The marshal and the posse go out,

and they come back.

No prisoners, nothing but excuses.

They're veterans.

They can get away with anything.

Get a few things straight. They

wouldn't be running the hills...

...if they were given a fair break

when they came home.

What side of this thing

are you on anyhow?

Your side. That's my job.

But if you can name one man

in this town who helped those men...

...get a decent start,

I'll eat your hat.

- Why, I hired them. I...

- Sure, sure, you hired them.

At pay they couldn't live on.

You fired them when you found out

they were friends of Jericho Howard.

No wonder some of them joined him.

Fine state of affairs,

when the marshal stands...

...in front of the judge

and defends outlaws.

I'm not defending any outlaws...

...but this town had better wake up,

or there'll be more outlaws.

He's right in a way. A lot of men

are pretty hard up and mad.

We ought to be able to do

something for them.

We will, after we get some

law and order back in this country.

I hold you responsible.

We're not getting what

we counted on from you.

- We want action!

- That's what you'll get.

The men who robbed you

and killed Rawson...

...will be caught and hanged

within the next 48 hours.

- Let's get going.

- Where do we start?

Over in Glory Hill, where we should've

started in the first place.

On who?

When did you boys get back in town?

Who said we ever left?

I still bet Jericho saw us looking for

him. Just too ornery to let us know.

Two days is as long as I'll look

for any man, even him.

If he don't want us,

then let's forget about it...

...and try something else.

- Try what?

- You hear what happened last night?

- Yeah, we slept out and it rained.

Where you been

the last couple of days?

We've just been travelling around.

That's all, marshal. Looking for...

Not looking for anything.

That's right, we were just looking.

- Who does this belong to?

- Me.

- Where'd you get it?

- Why, Ed Carter gave it to me.

- Didn't you know he's my friend?

- That's kid talk, Johnny.

Somebody emptied

his safe last night...

...and got away with $90,000

worth of that stuff.

What do you know about it?

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