The Westerner Page #4

going to string you up.

Why, that bunch of plow-pushing sod!

They're outside right now,

a whole wagonload of them.

A wagonload? Why, I can

handle a train load of them.

I'll tear their livers out.

What'll it be, gentlemen?

It'll be Roy Bean. Where is he?

He's out for a while.

That's because you came

down here and warned him.

Make a move and I'll kill you.

Cole, start collecting them shotguns,

uncork them rifles now and set

them down this end of the bar,

easy-like.

Go on.

Get back. Get back.

Now, I'll take yours, Judge.

The drinks are on me, gentlemen.

We're not drinking with

you, Harden, nor him, either.

I ain't serving none of my liquor

to no bunch of tomato-kissing,

- plow-pushing...

- Now, Judge,

we don't want any harsh words to spoil

this friendly little get-together.

Get-together?

Why, this pack of weasels invade

the dignity of my courtroom,

come in here armed with malice

aforethought to kick up a rumpus...

Now, look, you being a judge, you know

there's always two sides to any question.

These men have come here

with a legitimate grievance.

We're not asking you to speak for us, Harden.

No, nor me, either.

Well, that makes it unanimous. I'm

going to talk for the both of you.

There's a law here against fencing land

that seems nothing short of

murder to people raising crops,

but it's common sense to men running cattle.

I've seen this kind of war before.

It's happening now, back

in Kansas and Nebraska.

The cattlemen came in first,

then the homesteaders moved

in and fenced them out.

They had crops for one year,

and then a dry spell, drought,

so the homesteaders moved out,

and the rush and thistle and jimson moved in.

And the big spaces were all broken

up by little quarter sections,

and the homesteads left empty,

and the houses caved in, and the

land, no good for man or cattle.

You spoiled the land, then you

came here to spoil this land.

This here's a big country.

Yea, but it ain't big enough for cattlemen

and homesteaders, and it never will be.

Now, clear out here. That's my ruling.

All right, Bean, we're going.

We're going back to build our fences.

If you do, you better build

coffins along with them. Now, get.

You sure told them off, son.

Yep, and now I'm going to tell you off.

I'm sorry I stopped them from lynching you.

They got a right to defend their homesteads.

You know this ain't homestead

land. You just said so yourself.

- The government didn't say so.

- I'm the government here.

Judas Priest, I don't see how you

can talk up for scum like that.

They proved up on their land,

and they got deeds to it.

When you make war on them, you're making war

on their women and kids, too.

Those people were starved out last year.

I heard about those cattle

being stampeded over their crops,

and there's too many strays running

loose in that valley right now,

only they're not strays.

What do you want me to

do? Arrest them cattle,

and fine them a couple

dollars apiece for trespass?

Now, look,

those people don't take up much room with

their little shirt-sized pieces of land.

Why don't you be a real

judge for all of the people?

Why don't you try to see their side of

it, and help them instead of fight them?

Make peace around here instead of war.

There's plenty of room for everybody,

then everybody'd look up to you.

And then someday, maybe they'd put

up a statue out there in the street,

a statue with a carving on it.

"To Roy Bean, the real judge. "

What are you doing? Catching a fish?

I guess I'm wasting my time.

Hold on, wait a minute. You

write that letter to El Paso yet?

- No!

- You promised. We drank on it.

I didn't have to write it.

I had it on me all the time.

You did? Well, why didn't

you give it to me then?

You old bullhead, if I'd have

given it to you, you'd have hung me.

Wouldn't you?

- I might've at that. Let's have a look at it.

- I haven't got it with me.

Suffering, bleeding

Chickamauga! Where's it at?

I left it over at the Mathews' place.

- How is she?

- Huh?

- I'll ride right over with you.

- No, no.

You mean you're gonna crawfish?

You ain't going to give it to me?

- Sure, I'll give it to you.

- When?

When the last steer's out of the valley.

All right, I'll pass the

word around to the boys.

No, you don't. You're going

to help run those cattle out,

and I'm going along with

you to see that it's done.

Don't you trust me, Cole?

When I was a kid, I had a pet rattlesnake.

I was fond of it, but I

wouldn't turn my back on it.

You're all right.

I'm going back now, and gathering

my stuff for the roundup.

- And that lock of hair.

- Yeah, yeah, the lock of hair.

He defended Bean. He said he was right.

Said the homesteaders spoiled this

land for the cattlemen. We all heard it.

I don't care what you heard.

He couldn't be two-faced.

He's not that kind.

If he took Bean's part, he

only did it to stop trouble.

Miss Mathews,

looks like every time I get into

trouble, you always speak up for me.

They're trying to tell

me you spoke up for Bean.

Well, I did try to tell

them Bean's point of view.

There you are.

It's always been my experience

that when you know the other fellow's

point of view, you usually get together.

Well, why didn't you tell

him our point of view?

I did, and we got together.

You won't have to patrol

your fields any longer.

Judge gave me his word they'd

round up all cattle in this valley

and take them out of here.

You think he'd keep his word?

Well, I'm going along with

him to see that he does.

Well, what makes you

think we'd take your word?

Take it or leave it.

Harden,

you're a sneak and a liar.

Miss Mathews!

I'll be back.

California's that way.

I got something to tell you before I go.

- Well?

- How's Wade?

He's fine, just fine.

You know, you're not the

prettiest girl I ever saw.

Well, that's great news. Who asked you?

But you've got the prettiest hair I ever saw.

Why do you like to make fun of me?

'Cause I like you, I guess.

- And you think my hair's pretty, huh?

- I never saw anything like it.

- Oh, could I clip a lock?

- No, you can't.

- Will you clip one?

- No, I won't.

Come around here, take sides with Bean,

and knock out my best friend, and...

Tell you how much I like you,

and how much I might miss you?

- All right?

- No.

Here, these are yours.

Well, thanks a lot.

Jane Ellen!

Go on, Cole. Go on.

Well, so I says to her...

I said, "Miss Langtry,

"do you plan to go back to England

when you finish your American tour?"

And she said to me... She said,

"No. " Said she loved the

United States too much.

- Yeah?

- She planned to stay here

for the rest of her life.

She told me that when she got all

through her work in the theater,

that she wanted to settle down

someplace out here in the West.

By gobs.

Some quiet little place way out on the range,

away from all the lights and the crowds.

She kept asking about Texas especially.

She says that ever since she was a

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