The Ox-Bow Incident Page #4

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[ Gunshot In Distance ]

[ Cattle Mooing ]

- Where are we?

- The Ox-Bow.

There they are, gentlemen.

I suggest we avoid any shooting

or rough work until they've had

a chance to tell it their way.

Mr. Mapes and I

will do the talking.

- The one that got Kinkaid

is mine. Don't forget that.

- He's yours when we're sure.

[ Tetley ]

Ten men will go with Mrs. Grier

and come up from behind.

Bartlett, take six men

and work through those woods

in back of the cabin.

Gerald, you and Farnley

and the rest will go with me.

Would you

like a gun, Mr. Davies?

- No, thank you.

- Sparks?

Thank you.

No, sir, Major Tetley.

As you choose.

- Get up!

- Drop it!

Now put up your hands.

No sabe.

It's all right, brother.

You will.

[ Yawning ]

[ Groans ]

Take it easy, mister.

Stay where you are

and put your hands up.

Gerald,

collect their guns.

- What do you want?

- Shut up! We'll tell you

when we want you to talk.

This ain't no stickup, brother.

This is a posse if that

means anything to you.

But we haven't done anything.

Gerald!

Get 'em up!

[ Tetley ]

Tie them up!.

- Get in--

- All right, get in there.

Well, at least

you might tell us what

we're being held for.

- I'd rather you told us.

- [ Horses Approaching ]

Well, we must be pretty important.

Or else awfully dangerous.

It ain't that

you're so dangerous.

It's just that most

of the men ain't never seen

a real triple hangin'.

A hangin'?

What have we done?

Aren't you even gonna tell us

what we're accused of?

- Rustlin'. Ever hear of it?

- Rustlin'?

And murder.

Murder?

Oh, Mr. Martin,

what did we do?

It's all right, Dad.

There's some mistake.

Remember me?

- [ Grunts ]

- He's talkin' to ya, mister.

- No sabe.

- He don't speak English.

- I got a different notion.

- I'll make him talk.

- That'll do, Farnley!.

- Listen, your wife had enough

of you playin' God Almighty.

Who picked you

for this job anyhow?

We got him. I say

let's swing him before

we all freeze to death!

You cold? Here's a fire.

Warm yourself.

And I'll advise you

to control your tongue too.

We'll get along better.

- Who's boss of this outfit?

- I am.

- And your name?

- Donald Martin.

- Where you from?

- Pike's Hole.

- That's a lie!.

- This gentleman's

from Pike's Hole.

Would you like

to change your story?

I just moved in three days ago.

I'm on Dave Baker's place

up on the north end.

Dave Baker moved out

four years ago,

and the place is a wreck.

The barns are all fallin' down

and the sagebrush is stickin' up

through the porch.

Well, I bought the place

from him for $4,000

in Los Angeles last month.

- [ Laughs ]

Then, mister, you was robbed.

- Well, that may be.

But surely it's not so far

to Pike's Hole you can't go

over there and find out.

My wife's there right now...

- and my two kids.

- That's really too bad,

just too bad.

Even in this godforsaken country,

I've got a right to a trial!

You're getting a trial with 28

of the only kind of judges...

murderers and rustlers

get in what you call

this ""godforsaken country.''

So far, the jury

don't like your story.

Well, I'm not

gonna say another word

without a proper hearing.

[ Ma ] Suit yourself.

But this is all the hearing

you're likely to get...

short of the LastJudgment.

Have you any cattle

up here with you?

Hey, Mr. Martin?

[ Gagging ]

[ Laughs ]

I'm not gonna

ask you again.

- Yes, I have.

- How many?

- Fifty head.

- Where did you get 'em?

From Mr. Kinkaid.

That's just

what we figured, son.

I'm no rustler though.

I didn't steal 'em!

I bought 'em

and paid hard cash for them.

My own cattle were so bad,

I didn't want to risk bringin' 'em up.

So I sold them out at Salinas,

and I had to stock up again.

Well, you can wait can't ya,

till you can see Kinkaid?

- Or ask about me

over at Pike's Hole.

- That's a good one.

He's wants us to wait

and ask Larry Kinkaid.

Gotta hand it to ya, Martin.

You're a cool one all right.

You know as well as we do,

Kinkaid can't tell us anything.

- He's dead.

- Dead?

What do you think

we're up here for?

Well, how should I know?

He was all right yesterday afternoon.

Listen. Why don't

you stop this farce

and take us in!

'Cause the law's

slow and careless

around here sometimes.

We're here to see

it's speeded up.

- Who sent you up here?

- The sheriff.

-[ Gil ] That ain't true!.

-[ Smith ] Let's don't get

started again.

- It's gettin'late.

- The sheriff didn't

even know we were comin'.

I beg your pardon.

I should have said

the deputy sheriff.

Listen, men.

I'm not trying to obstruct justice...

but just as this young man says,

this is a farce.

And it'll be murder

if you carry it through.

All he's asking is what

every man's entitled to--

a fair trial.

You say you're innocent, Martin,

and I, for one, believe you.

[ Ma ]

Then I guess you're

the only one, Arthur.

If there's anyjustice

in your proceedings, Tetley...

it will only be

after a confession.

And they haven't confessed.

They say they're innocent...

- and you haven't proved they're not!

- Shut up!

- [ Punch Landing ]

- Have you a bill of sale

for those cattle?

Well, no, I haven't.

But Mr. Kinkaid said

it would be all right.

I couldn't find him at the house.

He was out on the range!

He didn't have

a bill of sale with him.

He said he'd mail it to me.

Moore. How long you been

ridin' with Kinkaid?

- Six years.

- Ever know him sell cattle

without a bill of sale?

N-N-No.

Can't say that I ever did.

[ Sniffles ]

Course, I can't remember

every head he sold in six years.

- But it's customary for him

to give a bill of sale?

- Y-Yep.

Ever know him to sell

cattle after spring roundup,

this or any other year?

I can answer that.

I heard him say myself

just a couple of days ago...

- he wouldn't sell a head

to nobody this spring.

- Well?

I know it looks bad giving a dead man

for a witness, but it's the truth.

- You don't believe me.

- Would you in my place?

I'd do a lot of finding out,

before hanging men

who might be innocent.

If it were only rustlin'

maybe, but-- but murder?

No.

[ Ma ]

What are you tryin'to do,

play cat and mouse with 'em?

I would prefer

a confession, Martin.

[ Sobs ]

If you've got any doubts,

I say call off this party.

Take 'em back toJudge

like Davies wants.

This is only slightly any

of your business, my friend.

Remember that.

Hangin's any man's business

that's around!

If your stomach for justice

is coolin', Carter...

I'd advise you to leave now

before we proceed any further.

Otherwise,

your interruptions are gonna

become very tiresome.

- I still don't like it!

Hangin' murderers is one thing,

- Take it easy.

but to keep guys

you don't know for sure did it...

standin' around sweatin'

while you shoot your mouth off...

- that's another.

- Take it easy.

This ain't our picnic.

If you keep on buttin' in,

I got a hunch it might be.

You called

this old man, ""Dad.''

Is he your father?

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