The Man from Laramie Page #3

Will we call it a draw?

I'll settle for that.

Come on in, the old

man's expecting you.

- 'Morning, sir.

- 'Morning.

Wagons like yours cost

about $75 apiece.

A good mule costs $20.

That means the Barb owes you

around $600. I'll make it $600.

- That's a little more than I paid.

- I'm satisfied if you are.

- I'm satisfied.

- Sit down.

You worry me, Lockhart,

and I'm not easily worried.

What do you want from me?

Nothing to hide,

nothing to worry about.

This is a new and hard country.

I've made hard decisions, but never

done anything I was ashamed of.

You don't seem to have much

trouble with the Apache, do you?

I respect them.

They were here first.

Whatever I got from them,

I bought. I didn't just take it.

About six months ago, they massacred

a cavalry patrol on your land.

What did you do about that?

Nothing.

They have a right to hunt on my

land. That was part of our deal.

They shot down 12 men

on a routine patrol.

Was that part of the deal, too?

I don't know who fired

the first shot, do you?

I know the United States Cavalry.

What's all this got to

do between you and me?

Everything.

I want to be friends with you, Lockhart.

I don't have to be, I want to be.

- Why?

- I'd like you to work for me.

We don't speak the same language.

Maybe we could both bend a little.

I've never owned an acre

of land, never wanted to.

You couldn't live with an

acre less than you've got.

Just where do we bend?

I'm not trying to buy

your friendship.

I'm looking for a way to

reach it. How do I do that?

Why am I so important to you?

I don't know you, you don't know me.

I don't know you, but I

knew you were coming.

What?

I was expecting you.

You'll have to explain that.

You wouldn't understand.

I'll get you your money.

Vic, come in here.

Yes.

Get me $600.

The cash is in the safe.

You put it there yourself.

I forgot that. I'll get it.

- It's quite an outfit you've got here.

- Biggest in the territory.

It'll be bigger yet,

one of these days.

Doesn't seem like there's

much spreading room left.

There's always room, Lockhart.

A ranch that stops growing

might just as well be dead.

Some places get so big

they just bust, you know.

Here we are.

$50, $100...

You'd better watch what you're doing.

Those aren't $50s, they're $100s.

- Give him $600.

- Yeah, sure.

- There you are.

- Thank you.

- We're all settled up.

- Not quite.

- There's nothing to keep you here now.

- Any reason for me to leave?

My son's never been whipped

before. He's not going to like it.

Nobody likes being whipped.

Most men get over it.

Look, this is a big country. There

are plenty of towns around.

Why don't you be a good fellow and

pick some other place to roost?

I'll think it over.

That $600 comes out

of your pay, Vic.

My pay?

What are you saying? Dave

burned the wagons, not me.

You should've stopped him.

I've got thousands of cattle to look

over. I can't be everywhere at once.

You've got it all wrong.

Maybe I've had it all

wrong for a long time.

When Dave's ma died, I figured

the boy needed a tight rein.

I thought he'd take it

better from you than me.

He don't need someone to

get him into more scrapes.

I swear I tried to stop

him out at the lagoons.

Next time there's a mix-up,

you'd better stop him...

or I'll bust you to a cowhand.

Better yet, I'll fire you.

- What's that?

- You heard.

Say it again.

I said, "Next time Dave gets in a

mess like that, you're fired."

No one's firing me off

this ranch. No one.

I belong here as much as

you and more than Dave.

You're wrong again.

I like you. I've

always liked you...

but Dave's my blood. Him, I love.

And liking and loving ain't the same.

You made me a promise. I get a

share of this ranch with Dave.

I'm holding you to it.

You've got nothing in your name, not

even the saddle on the horse you ride.

How are you going to hold me

to it if I change my mind?

You want to find

out, Alec? Fire me.

Go ahead, fire me.

Looking at you, I see

myself 20 years ago.

I don't want to fight

you, boy. I need you.

But you need me, too. Let's

both try and remember that.

Alec, you oughtn't to push me.

I don't like to be pushed.

I'd push you right off the earth

if I thought it'd help Dave.

You're right, he is weak. All the

more reason he needs your help.

Keep both eyes on him, for me,

and I'll be beholden to you.

All right, Alec, but don't

ever push me again.

Hi, Charlie.

You didn't spend much time

up in Apache land, did you?

My mother's relatives wasn't

anxious for me to stay on.

When I was a boy...

my pa told me that I was lucky to

have an Irish pa and an Indian ma.

He said I'd have two

places to come home to.

Don't seem like I have any.

About the only home I

remember is an army barracks.

Give me a little of that, will you?

I guess we're not the homey type.

Why don't you go back

to Laramie, Captain?

What do you mean, "Captain"?

You talk like one. I used to

be a scout in the Cavalry.

It got so I could fix a man's

rank by the tone of his voice.

Why are you trying

to get rid of me?

'Cause there's big trouble coming and

you can't handle it by yourself.

Suppose you just tell

me what you found out?

Sure.

If you're looking for the repeating

rifles, you're in the right place.

The young bucks are sporting 'em. They're

expecting a couple hundred more.

- When? Who from?

- I didn't press the point.

If I'd been too nosey, I wouldn't

have been able to ride out.

But they've got a contact.

Somebody's supplying them.

There weren't any guns in

that freight we hauled.

No more wagons in for a month.

Where's the shipment coming from?

All I know is they're excited, like

they're expecting them guns soon.

- In a couple of days, at most.

- Why do you think that?

'Cause they already paid for them, and

nobody takes pay from the Apaches...

without delivering.

Those guns might be here already.

Sounds more like it, but where?

They'd be pretty hard to hide.

- Are you expecting to meet someone?

- No.

Somebody's following you,

but he's keeping out of sight.

I thought I saw the sun reflecting

against a gun or a pair of spurs.

- Better let me ride with you.

- No, you go back to town. See you later.

Whatever you say, Captain.

Hold it, mister.

Speak your peace.

- I wasn't doing nothing.

- You followed me from the Barb.

I mean no harm. I ain't got a gun.

Come on. This hot sun

makes a fella impatient.

I'll just trying to

earn an honest dollar.

Not holding a steady job gives me time

to pick up bits of news here and there.

I guess I know everything private

that goes on in Coronado.

What's that got to do with me?

You're a man that's looking for

somethin' and willin' to pay for it.

That depends on what the information

is, and who's selling it.

I ain't got no references, but anybody

can tell you that Chris Boldt...

is a man not to be trusted.

That means nobody's secrets

are sacred with me.

Just who are you

figuring on selling out?

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