The Ox-Bow Incident Page #2

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what they're doing.

If I can make this thing regular,

that's all I ask.

- Come on. Let's go.

- Oh, wait a minute.

- Do you know Mapes?

- The one they call Butch?

Yes. The sheriff's made him deputy

for times he's out of town.

And we don't want Mapes.

Well, they said I was

to be the executioner,

so I come all fixed.

Think I don't know

my business, huh?

[ Gagging ]

You don't look very well,

Mr. Davies.

Maybe you'd better stay home

and rest up for the funeral.

Maybe you could get the flowers.

Boys wouldn't begrudge

a few flowers, even for a rustler.

So long as he's a good dead one.

[ Laughing ]

Get your hat and gun.

I'm not going, Father.

I don't wish any argument.

Do as I say.

Perhaps this will do what

I've obviously failed to do--

make a man of you.

[ Doorbell Rings ]

Scrape your boots,

put your hat on your hand

and straighten your wig.

- Well?

- Why, is the judge at home, ma'am?

- Yes.

- Can we see him?

You got business?

No, we just

dropped in for tea.

Very funny.

Mr. Davies sent us, ma'am.

It's awfully important.

It's not

regular office hours.

That the judge's

better half?

His housekeeper.

His wife's dead.

Well, you can see why

there's times when...

the judge don't seem to be able

to make up his own mind.

[ Man ]

Come in!. Come in!.

He says come in!

Well, well, Carter,

how are things out

in your neck of the woods?

- All right, I guess,Judge.

- You don't appear to have been...

pining away, exactly,

since last I saw you.

- And what can I do

for you gentlemen?

- We're here for Mr. Davies.

Oh. How is my friend Davies?

Well, I trust.

Yes, but could we see you alone

for a minute,Judge?

- Oh, a matter of a private nature, eh?

- Yes, sir.

[ Art ]

Mr. Davies said particularly

just you and Sheriff Risley.

- Risley ain't here.

He deputized me.

- Where'd the sheriff go?

Down to Kinkaid's ranch

early this morning.

When will he be back?

He didn't say.

Couple of days maybe.

But anything you can tell him

you can tell me.

Sure, we know that, Butch,

but we're here for Mr. Davies.

If the judge thinks

it's your job, he'll tell you.

Certainly, Mapes, certainly.

All right. But if

it's a sheriff's job, call me, see.

Naturally.

Well, what can I do

for you gentlemen?

[ Horses Galloping ]

Ain't so much that Mr. Davies

don't want 'em to go.

It's just he wants to make sure

a posse's sworn in to bring

him in for a fair trial.

That's why we wanted

you and the sheriff to hurry.

Confound it, men.

The sheriff's not here.

Today of all days.

You can talk to them.

They'll listen to you.

No. No, no, that's not my job.

I haven't any police authority.

- Where are you going, Mapes?

- There's a posse forming,

in case you hadn't heard.

That's sheriff work, ain't it?

That's no posse. That's

a lawless, lynching mob.

It'll be a posse

when I get there.

I'm gonna deputize

them all proper.

But you can't do that.

Risley's the only one

empowered to deputize.

[ Sizzles ]

Should we tell Davies

you're coming,Judge?

Yes. Yes, of course.

I suppose I'll have to.

But doggone it, this is

the sheriff's job. Not mine.

[ Indistinct Whispering ]

[ Indistinct Whispering ]

Coming along, Sparks?

No, sir, Mr. Smith.

I don't guess so.

Oh, you better

come along, Sparks.

Ain't every day we have a hanging

in a town as dead as this one.

You won't have to do nothin'.

All the real work's signed up.

I just thought we ought

to have a reverend along...

'cause there's gonna be

some prayin' done.

Maybe you're right, Mr. Smith.

Maybe somebody ought to go along

that feels the way I do.

[ Smith ]

Davies'll loan you his Bible...

so all the reading will be

done right at the burial.

Thank you, sir.

But I knows my text

without the book.

They're kidding you, Sparks.

I know, sir.

But maybe Mr. Smith's

accidently right.

Maybe I ought to go along.

There's an old horse

in my shed you can use.

Thank you, sir.

I'll go and fetch it.

Ya-haw!

Here comes Ma!

- [ Cheering ]

- Come on! We're ready to go.

Hiya, boys!

[ Indistinct ]

Whoa. Well, boys,

what are we waitin' for now?

Judge Tyler.

Davies asked him to come over.

[ Breathing Heavily ]

I understand

how it is, men.

My old friend Larry Kinkaid,

one of the finest and noblest--

Cut the stumpin', Tyler.

All we want

is your blessing.

Of course you can't flinch from what

you believe to be your duty.

But certainly,

you don't want to act hastily...

in the same spirit of lawlessness

that begot this foul crime.

Ah,Judge, before you get

ready to act...

them rustlers will be

clear down over the Rio.

One more word, Smith, and I'll

have you up for impeding

the course of justice.

Judge, you can't impede

what don't move anyway.

[ Laughing ]

And you,Jenny Grier, a woman...

to lend yourself to this.

- Ha!

- [ Laughing ]

Now, listen.

Listen, men.

I've just found out

that Sheriff Risley's

already down at Kinkaid's.

- That right,Judge?

- Yes. He's been there all morning.

Yes. So you see,

probably everything's...

being attended to

right now, legally.

All you'll get out of it

is a long, hard ride.

It'll be dark before long

and mighty cold.

My advice is to come inside,

Have a drink...

and let's wait till

we hear from the sheriff.

Drinks on the house.

But only one round. I'm not

filling any bucket bellies.

- I'll make it two.

- Any of you fellas wanna

stay in town, I can take six...

if you don't mind

sleeping doubles.

[ Davies ] It's not like

you were giving up, boys.

It's just good sense.

[Judge ]

Farnley, come back!.

I'm not asking you!

I'm telling you!

You don't have to worry,Jeff.

This business is going

to be taken care of.

Yeah, and I know who's

gonna take care of it. Me.

I tell you now, whoever shot

Larry Kinkaid ain't coming

back here for you to...

fuddle with your lawyers' tricks

for six months.

Then be let off because Davies,

or some other whining old woman...

claim he ain't bad at heart.

Kinkaid didn't have

six months to decide

if he wanted to die.

Disbanding, men?

[ Ma ]

Davies has just about

convinced us, Major Tetley.

- Of what, Mr. Davies?

- Why, of-- of--

I take it you were acting

on the assumption...

- the raiders left

for the south draw.

- Yes, of course.

They didn't.

- They went east by Bridger's Pass.

- That's through the mountains?

[ Tetley ]

Over the old stage road

to Pike's Hole.

- But that's 8,000 feet up.

- [ Tetley ]

Approximately.

They'd be crazy

to go that way.

Not so crazy perhaps,

Mr. Davies, knowing

how crazy it would look to us.

How come

you're so sure, Tetley?

Pancho saw them.

He was coming back from Pike's.

- Had trouble getting

by them in the pass.

- Si. He not see me, I think.

So, he was headed down the hollow

and I drive my horse out of the way.

At first I think I say hello.

And then I think it's funny

how to drive the cattle then.

- Cattle?

- Sure.

- Why do you think I had

to get out of his road?

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