The Stranger Wore a Gun Page #3

from those shipments.

Since when you order me?

I told you.

If you or any of your breed

step foot into this town again...

I'll have you torn apart.

The pieces thrown to the dogs.

He talks.

I don't talk.

Shorty, shut up!

- Josie, what are you doing here?

- Stop play-acting, Jeff.

- You knew darn well I'd follow you.

- No. I never took you for granted.

- I told you not to follow me.

- Sorry, Lieutenant, I disobeyed orders.

But wouldn't I be foolish, now,

to do everything men told me to do?

- You're a long way from home.

- I was, a minute ago.

- Why did you come here?

- You see, I was on my way to California...

and I figured you'd never

seen the Pacific Ocean, so...

No go, Josie.

Don't forget you're a wanted man.

And California's a lot farther from Louisiana

than Arizona territory.

A wanted man can't be choosy.

He stops where they let him

and travels fast when they don't.

- That doesn't sound like you.

- No?

Once you learn to toss your conscience

out of the window nothing matters.

You don't believe that.

- Why shouldn't I?

- Let's not argue.

Let's go downstairs

and have a drink to our reunion.

Sure.

By the way, you haven't even told me

you're glad to see me!

- I'm glad to see you.

- You play women like you play cards!

I'll toss in.

Look it!

Won't be long now. Stone said 11:00.

It's nearly that now.

All right, Mueller!

Yeah, this'll be like shooting fish in a barrel.

Make sure

you don't drop a sack full of grain.

It's gold we're after,

and Stone said it's in those sacks.

I know. I ain't feeble-minded.

There they come.

Come on.

Give me that!

That man's crazy.

We better get out of here.

He'll shoot us all up.

You sure handled them!

Let's go.

Giddyup!

- Sorry I'm late.

- You have some explaining to do.

Degas and his gang were in action today.

I had to run out.

Why didn't you stop when you saw my men?

I thought they were part of the Degas bunch.

Take a good look when you pull that trigger.

You shot my hat off.

Had I known it was you,

I could've done better.

You're not doing the job I want.

- I wouldn't say that.

- I would.

First whack we get

at a worthwhile shipment, you crumb it up.

I'll do the talking, Slager. He's right.

From your leads so far...

what we've taken

off the stages won't keep our horses in oats.

No? This might interest you.

The stage leaving Phoenix

is carrying over $25,000...

in new money.

It'll be in the water cask in the boot.

If these two will do as I say,

they'll get it without trouble.

- Conroy tell you this?

- His daughter.

It had better work this time.

I have a lot of patience.

But I can't say the same

for Mr. Kurth and Mr. Slager.

They need money.

So do I.

King wins.

Jack loses.

King wins.

Ten loses.

Try that one.

Queen wins.

Three loses.

Never argue with a lady.

Let's keep it that way.

Six wins.

Queen loses.

- What are you going to do for dinner?

- Why...

Previous engagement, Josie.

- Would it be at the Conroys'?

- I don't mean to neglect you...

but my job

has been taking up most of my time.

- Eight wins. Five loses.

- Yeah. I hear you have a very mean boss.

Maybe we'd find

more privacy somewhere else.

Like California?

- Where'd you get that idea?

- The other day when I saw your mean boss.

Four wins.

- You brought me luck!

- I keep telling you we're a great team.

Come on, get down from that box

and we'd better not find any rocks today.

Come on over here.

- Where is it?

- Come on. Where'd you hide it?

I never know. Please don't. I don't know.

Nine wins. Three loses.

Mr. Stone, the boss wants to see you.

- Which boss?

- The one who pays him.

- Sorry, Josie. Business.

- Your business comes before my business.

Keep on playing them, Josie.

Seven wins. Jack loses.

Hello, Shelby.

Hello, Mark.

You know, you make that gown

look mighty pretty.

Why, thank you. It's brand-new.

You know, Frank, there's a rule of nature:

There can only be one filly in the pasture.

Now, Mark Stone. He's a nice fellow.

Remember Shelby Conroy,

how business-like she used to be?

No time for frills?

Yeah. She's even neglecting

her bookkeeping chores.

I tell you, it's a marvel...

the way Mark

has put color back in her cheeks.

Six wins.

Ten loses.

Jake's late

bringing that stage in from Phoenix.

There's nothing to worry about.

If you're thinking of the money shipment,

Dad's changed the plan.

Jake's not bringing the money

with him this trip. Of course...

Mark!

I've got bad news for you.

I lost all your money.

That's all right.

- Miss Conroy, Miss Sullivan.

- How do you do, Miss Sullivan?

Not the Shelby Conroy

who runs the stage line?

I don't run it. I only work in it.

The way you kept telling me

how business-like and efficient she is...

I expected to see some frazzled old lady.

And you're really quite pretty.

Why, thank you. But so are you.

Mark is known for his good taste.

We've been close friends for years.

- Why, Mark, you never told me.

- Why, you never asked me.

Jake should be in that driver's seat.

Uncle Jake!

- He's gone.

- They tore up the coach looking for gold.

They couldn't find any.

They started on Jake...

- to make him tell where it was.

- They tortured him.

They tortured him to make him talk.

But he wouldn't.

I was born in this country

and I've seen men fight and kill.

But I've never seen anything as terrible

as what they did to that poor man.

He couldn't have told them

there wasn't any gold. He didn't know.

He always said:

"What I don't know,

nobody can ever squeeze out of me."

Even if he'd known about a shipment,

Jake wouldn't have talked.

No amount of gold could be worth that.

It was more than a job.

It was a trust. He put his heart into it.

And lost his life.

Now, what's all this?

Now, what's all this?

Dad and I don't know what to do.

We're so discouraged.

That's new kind of talk for you, Shelby.

We won't send more stages

if it means death to those who ride them.

I never thought they'd go that far.

When the stages quit,

decent people will leave with us.

This town will be dead.

Let the outlaws have it.

And I thought you were a fighter.

You yourself said, if you try to save

a burning house, you go up with it.

That's something I once heard a fellow say.

Jeff, I know you've done everything

you could to help us...

but it's just too much for us.

Dad and I are quitting.

And you've got to quit with us.

- Lf they do to you what they did to Jake, I'd...

- Listen to me.

Maybe there's a chance, but I need time.

I want you to send out a stage

tomorrow as usual, but no gold on it.

- No, I won't...

- Shelby, I'm counting on you.

Soon, real soon I'll give you your chance.

You lied about the gold dust

being on the coach.

There was no gold on it.

They killed for nothing.

I told you he double-crossed us!

Conroy held up the shipment

at the last minute.

- You say.

- The Conroys are making one big shipment.

$100,000 in gold.

It'll be going through

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