1
James!
She let you go then?
Yeah.
Afraid of nobody.
I wish you could see into my heart, James,
and know that, this very night...
I am going to repent of all my sins.
- What's that?
- They're leaving Harvard.
You're hungover.
James! James!
Where are we supposed to be?
Here?
My friends...
if it be not a mere farce -
If it be not a mere farce
you are enacting...
in these sacred valedictory rites...
if you mean them, feel them -
as I know you do...
they have for you a mandate
of imperative duty.
Hallelujah!
It is not great wealth alone...
that builds the library...
founds the college...
that is to diffuse a high learning
and culture among a people.
It is the contact...
of the cultivated mind
with the uncultivated.
If it be true...
that the constitution
of American society...
is peculiarly hostile now...
to all habits of thought
and meditation...
it doubly behooves us -
It doubly behooves us...
to look well
to the influence we may exert.
A high ideal -
the education of a nation.
CIass of '70...
friends, parents...
relations of the class of '70...
I now introduce your class orator -
Mr. William C. Irvine.
Oh!
James! Onward!
William.
Give us a good one, Bill!
CIass of '70...
ladies and gentlemen...
friends of the class of '70...
That's your friend.
There is a story
told by an ancient author...
of a young man who being noticed
by his friend to look dejected...
was questioned by him...
concerning the cause
of his troubled appearance.
The youth used no concealment...
but told him that, for three days...
he had been vainly endeavoring
with his utmost efforts...
to find an exordium for a subject
on which he had to write.
Whereupon,
his friend replied with a smile...
"Do you wish to write
better than you can?"
"And such," says the old author,
"is the whole truth of the matter.
We must endeavor to speak
to the best of our ability...
but we must speak
according to our ability."
Oh. He keeps looking at you.
And similar to the distress of this youth
was my own trouble...
when upon examining the old skeleton
upon which most college orations are hung -
I considered how I might incarnate
that familiar framework.
Of course, I at once decided
not to attempt any profound...
or difficult matter...
lest having given the dry bones
at best but a long tongue -
puny strength.
And after much careful
and calm meditation...
the class has refused to advise alteration...
on the usual law
that is called gravitation.
Though we had thought at one time
of having it stopped...
in order that some of us
might not be dropped.
But the mind of mankind
perhaps will be gratified to learn...
that, at last, the law has been ratified...
and the common result
can be counted on still.
All rivers, as usual, flowing downhill.
The seasons, in turn,
will continue to roll.
We shall ask for no change
in the north or south pole.
The sun will continue to set in the west.
The majority of us considered it best.
We disclaim all intention
of making a change...
in what...
we esteem...
on the whole...
I don't know where to look.
Well arranged.
Oh!
James!
Excuse me.
- God, you're beautiful.
- So are you.
Are you alone?
Oh, yes.
Come on. Where is it?
Fuck you, bastards!
Let him through!
Let him through!
Fuck you bastards!
Come on, James!
Come on! Get him up!
Come on. Let's go.
Come on, you bastards!
You fucker!
Give me a push!
James! James! James!
You did it, James!
You got it, James! You got it!
...be forever
Let our love perish never
When we're parted, stick together
Heart to heart, bold and true
- Never fear then for Seventy
- My God, Billy.
- Have you ever felt ready to die?
- Give a cheer then for Seventy
It's over!
- Meet the world bravely, Seventy
- James, do you realize -
- Forward hearts, bold and true
- It's over.
Three cheers for our dear old country!
- Hip, hip!
- Hooray!
Hooray!
Stupid.
Goddamn ignorant bastards.
Go back to where you came from!
Excuse me, ma'am.
Pardon me.
If I could get by, please.
Thank you very much.
How are ya?
Try to keep moving, folks. Thank you.
Try and keep moving, folks.
Thank you very much.
Casper.
Let's move it. Move.
Move along, please.
That you, Cully?
Yes. Yes.
Howdy, Jim. Howdy.
Well, I will be damned.
What in the hell
are you doing here in that rig?
There's hard times, Jim.
A citizen's got to make a dollar
any way he can these days.
I thought you was still
up in Johnson County.
I am.
Well, what are you doing down here, then,
in this part of the world?
I brought an immigrant woman
in for hanging.
Federal penitentiary, St. Louis.
Is the law hanging women now, are they?
She shot her husband six times in the head
and then the kids.
God of shit.
Maybe I'm overdue
for a new life myself, Cully.
So - So how is things in St. Louis anyways?
The bank just crashed.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
What's next?
Time to get out, Cully. Head west.
I already been there.
Well, you got yourself
a-a fit drivin' carriage here.
Taking it back up to Johnson County,
are you?
Tonight, if it doesn't snow.
Say, another citizen was killed up there
day before yesterday.
Caught speed butchering a steer
with a hatchet.
Michael - Michael Kovach, I believe it was.
Mike Kovach, you say?
I tell you,
every new citizen takes up land here...
the big fellas blackball him.
A citizen steals
to keep his family from starving -
and they-they threaten them off or kill them.
- Goddamn.
- I'll tell you something, Jim.
I'll tell you something.
If the rich could hire others
to do their dying for them...
the poor could make a wonderful living.
Money.
- The Arab horse is yours, too, I see.
- Well, that's a fine-looking animal.
Take him on down to the stable.
It's getting more crowded
every day, isn't it?
Those poor sons of bitches sit around weeks
waiting for claims verifications.
Do they know
what's waiting for them out here?
No, they don't. They do not.
They just sit here
in the asshole of creation...
some of them starving
right in front of my eyes.
Babies too.
Every damn day, I swear I'm not
gonna give 'em another penny.
I'm a poor citizen myself.
What can you do?
I'm as human as the next citizen.
I'm a human being, ain't I?
I'm not ashamed of it.
I tell - I tell you, Jim.
I got so I can't stand this job already.
- There you go, Cully. It's on me this time.
- You don't have to do that, Jim.
What do you want
to go and do a thing like that for?
Harness up the Studebaker for me, will you?
I'll be back for it presently.
Well, I - I'll put your grip in there for you.
Set this up there in that carriage.
I don't want to see a scratch on it.
Say, Jim! Jim!
Jim!
Jim! Watch yourself.
I mean take care of yourself.
Aw, I don't - I don't know what I mean.
Thanks, Cully.
Don't let these citizens get to you.
Yeah. You know that.
Show me that other Browning there.
Well balanced.
Bill, how you doin'?
Dudley, I do believe
I am finally workin' for a rich firm.
- George, we'll pick up the extra men.
- How many hands has he got?
- He's got five dozen. I got -
- Hi. How you doin', George?
How many gun hands you -
- Association?
- Name's Morrison.
Sign here.
I want a new suit of clothes
and a Witte's Special 12-gauge shotgun.
Suits are over there at the self-service rack.
I'll get the other.
Association?
No. Where's Zindel?
Died. Apoplexy.
Well, you struck it rich here, friend.
Mister, I ain't got spit enough
to pass the time of day.
- What can I do for you?
- Winchester '66. Brandy - B&B.
I think I'll go with the other one.
I feel like these immigrants
comin' in here these days are -
I think that's enough, friend.
I said you already won.
Says who, old man?
I can't believe you fixed your mouth
to say that, boy.
You people go back where you came from.
Go back where you came from!
Hey, Jim!
What's going on here, Cully?
Well, you hear a lot of things
around a rail depot, Jim.
Rumors mostly.
Listen, I-I -
I can't aff -
I can't afford to get involved.
Damn it, I just got this job.
Whoa, boy.
Aw, hell.
I was over last night to the Sage Hotel
having meself some Baltimore oysters...
when I met up
with a couple of citizens there.
A Mr. Morrison and Mr. Budley.
No, that ain't right. Dudley.
That's what it was. Dudley.
One of the biggest
damn citizens I ever seen...
with two eyes in his head like a dead fish.
Well, I - I had a long drink
with this Morrison and Dudley...
and-and they said to me -
they said to me that they was -
they was currently in the employ
of the Stock Growers Association...
and that the Association was hiring up
a big mob from all over the northwest.
Well, every citizen's business is his own affair,
not mine, damn it.
I believe I'll pay the Association
a little call while I'm here.
- Watch my goods, Cully.
- Right, Jim. Right.
Displace us and our capital...
and 50 years must pass
before the earth can be made...
to produce the same wealth
in any other form.
This is no longer a poor man's country.
These emigrants only pretend to be farmers.
But we know many of them personally
to be thieves and anarchists...
openly preying on our ranges.
No jury in Johnson County
will indict them...
even in the face of evidence as conclusive
as any ever offered in a court of justice.
Right.
Yeah, they're an ignorant,
degraded gang of paupers.
Their only stock-in-trade consists of
having large numbers of ragged kids.
Out of 180 indictments,
we have had one conviction in four years.
That man was caught with the hide
and the bones of the stolen animal.
He was found guilty of stealing
the hide and the bones only...
which were valued at $18...
making his crime petty larceny.
The jury evidently took it for granted...
that the rest of the animal
was still out roaming the range.
Unenforced law
is an invitation to anarchy.
Consequently,
the Stock Growers Association...
will now and publicly
wipe out these thieves and anarchists.
We are employing 50 men
on the basis of five dollars a day...
and $50 for every cattle thief shot or hung.
Good idea.
We will go to Johnson County...
we will depose
the incompetent civil authority there...
and we will keep possession of the town
until we can take charge of the courts.
- Good.
- Right.
We have placed 125 names on a death list.
I know that it is popular at present
to hamper justice for us.
But, gentlemen...
to kill...
125 people...
all at one time?
Huh?
Well, that will only further prejudice
public opinion against ourselves.
No. No.
So I'm going to move that we stop...
right here.
I had a very satisfactory talk
with the governor yesterday.
He asserted in the most positive terms
his wholehearted support...
as well as that of the Senate
and the House of Representatives...
and the president of these United States.
If we fail,
the flag of the United States fails.
That's all I'm going to say
before we ask every one of you...
to express your approval
of the general plan of campaign.
We'll call the roll and take a voice vote.
Hear, hear. Hear, hear.
- Stratton.
- Yes.
- Vaughn.
- Yes.
- Hall.
- Yes.
- Ward.
- Yes.
- Cummings.
- Most definitely.
- Steel.
- Yes.
- Hardly.
- Yes.
- Weatherford.
- Yes.
Miller.
- Tower.
- Yes.
- King.
- Yes.
- Thompson.
- Yes.
Holy God of the Prophets.
James.
Hello, Billy.
We've just been debating...
one of your county's
more infamous legal decisions.
Incidentally, does anybody else
know that you're here?
Just you.
Why the hell did you come here?
Well, why do we do anything, Billy?
"As we ask but time to drift...
drift and note the devious ways of man.
To drift...
and to scan the truths...
that underlie the surface faiths
whereby men live and die."
W.C. Irvine, Hasty Pudding.
Billy, you're the only son of a bitch I ever knew
worth getting seriously drunk with.
It's true.
Yes, that's true, you know.
James, you snookered yourself again.
Do you know, James...
one half of my drunkenness
can be accounted for...
by the fact that this building
is so poorly ventilated.
Two rails, side pocket.
What's going on here, Billy?
Ugly rumors, James.
That's a gob of spit, Billy.
A hundred names...
or thereabouts.
On a list.
Just some of these emigrants
that they're going to kill off.
Even they can't get away
with a thing like that.
Well...
in principle...
everything can be done.
In principle.
What'll you do, Billy?
I'm -
I'm a victim of our class, James.
- Good-bye, Billy.
- James.
Do you remember the...
good, gone days?
Clearer and better
every day I get older.
- Hey.
- What's he doing here?
You were blackballed
out of this club long ago, Averill.
You're trespassing.
We could have you shot here - legally.
Legally, you bastards have a right
to protect your own property.
But unless you got
a signed legal warrant...
for every name on that death list...
stay out of my county.
You offset every effort we make
to protect our property...
and that of members of your own class.
You're not in my class, Canton.
You never will be.
You'd have to die first and be born again.
Frank! Frank!
- Watch yourself.
- You all right, Frank?
- Frank. Frank, are you all right?
- Pete, help me get him up.
- Let's help him up.
Get him up first, all right?
- You okay?
- All right! I'm all right!
Let's go.
What happened?
They came this way and killed him.
Well, what'II you do out here now?
Work our land.
Without a man?
He paid, uh, $150 for it.
We own it now.
I'll take you back.
I'll settle this. I promise you that.
We'll work our land. Thank you.
Well, good-bye then. And good luck.
Thank you.
Whole damn country will be nothing
but widows and orphans soon.
The Stock Growers Association is the largest
association of its kind in the world.
We plan to publicly wipe out...
125 thieves, anarchists and outlaws.
I still need
25 more experienced men...
who want to make a lot of money.
What's it pay?
We are employing on the basis
of five dollars a day plus expenses...
and $50 for every thief and anarchist
shot or hung.
Who's paying, mister?
You don't worry about that.
Who's paying?
I'm paying.
Stand aside here.
Son of a bitch.
Even the goddamn kids now.
I ain't kid.
I'm married man.
Get out of here before I blow
your brains out, married man.
Don't do it, married man.
You're very lucky you're not dead already.
Just... take it easy now, mister, huh?
My family starving. You know that.
That don't give you room to steal.
You look like one of us.
You work for them?
I'll decide what I am.
I'm not going to kill a kid
still pisses in his pants.
Now get on out of here.
Goddamn traitor!
Ja.
- ...einem Dollar?
- Ein Dollar.
Ein Dollar? Put it down.
- Pay attention, will you?
- Ja, ja.
- If you wanna do this job, do it right.
- Ja, ja.
I'll give a dollar to twenty-five cents.
I'll give it one time.
You got it.
Get them back, Willy!
Top him! Top him!
Keep back, Schultz! Keep back, Schultz!
Keep him back, Willy!
All right. Is he hurt? Let me see, Willy.
- Speak English.
- He's hurt.
I can see that. All right.
That's it, baby.
All right. Now, keep his head wet.
Get ready.
Stop pushing!
Morning, Jim.
So how's St. Louis?
Thank you.
That's a fine piece.
- How's business?
- Business? Good.
Ah, these people. You know them.
Don't have but a pot to piss in.
But people always get thirsty
after a funeral.
And I'm not about to sit
and watch the grass grow...
when there's money to be made.
Yeah, well, most of them
can't even afford a funeral...
let alone their wives and kids.
Get them all the hell out of here
before church opens.
Association's declared war, J.B.
They want to get rid of all this.
Fifty dollars for every citizen on the list
shot or hung.
Tell me when you want to get serious.
I am serious.
There's 125 names on a death list.
My God.
That's almost everybody in the county.
How can people declare war
on a whole county?
I guess, on principle,
everything can be done.
Goddamn.
It's getting dangerous
to be poor in this country.
Isn't it?
It always was.
Have you told anybody else yet?
No, not yet.
No, let them have their Sunday.
Tomorrow morning will be time enough.
Do you hear me? Idiot!
I told that black-bearded -
He put feet on my land one more time,
I kill him!
- What happened to your head?
- Why don't you ask him something?
All right, goddamn it, shut up!
All right, one of you tell me what's happening,
and the rest of you shut up.
Please. Uh, please.
It's not me who is making complaint.
- He come to me and wife -
- I kill you! I kill you!
He come to me and my wife,
and he using -
Very bad word before wife!
And he never, uh, stop,
listen what I have to say.
What did you have to say?
I say - I say, "I am truly sorry,
but, uh, my property line crosses here."
I want that son of a bitch -
Albert, you put off yelling in here!
Okay, then what happened?
What the hell difference
makes what happened?
He already admitting he's crossing my lines.
He, uh, knock me down...
and, uh, I - I take him by foot...
and, uh, my wife hit him on head with rock.
That's lie! That's lie!
That's lie!
And, uh -
I - I held him and, uh...
my wife tie him up good...
so that he was there last time
when I see him until now.
That's another lie!
That's -
Remember!
Out before church opens!
Good morning, Mr. Averill.
Good morning, George, Mrs. Eggleston.
Mmm!
Mmm!
Mmm. I missed you.
What the hell is that?
I didn't have any breakfast yet.
Is that all that's stopping you?
Mmm! Come on.
Pie?
I think it's the best one I ever did.
It's beautiful.
It belongs in a museum.
It's great.
- Mmm!
- It's delicious.
Mmm! You eat the pie first.
It took me a whole day to make it for you,
so you eat all of it.
Tell me something.
How do you manage
to take care of business...
and make pies at the same time?
Mmm.
Help me.
I brought your birthday present.
Yes? Yeah?
Really? It's very expensive, no?
What else have I got to spend my money on?
Where is it? Is it here?
Where is it?
Tell me, please.
- Tell me. I can't stand it.
- Here.
Ahh!
No! I want to see.
Bye-bye.
I'm afraid to look.
Silly, isn't it?
No. I'll bring it out to you.
How do you like 'im?
It's so beautiful.
Oh!
I can't stop crying.
I don't know what the hell
is the matter with me.
I feel I finally got somewhere.
- I'm so happy I could bust.
- What's stopping you?
Whoo!
What the fuck is going on?
We just got to sleep around here.
Howdy, Nell! Ladies.
You just drag your tired
old asses down here...
and come see for yourself!
Boy, you got everything
under control here?
Well, it ain't easy, Mr. Averill.
Whoo!
Come on!
Do you have any idea
what one of these costs?
Come on, Bessie!
Watch out.
If you can -
If you can see daylight
between the trees, it's okay.
SIow down, EIIa.
- Turn off before you get to town.
I don't want anybody to see me.
- Whoo!
I want them to see me.
What good is it if nobody sees me?
EIIa!
Hello!
I'll be damned. We're just in time.
Look! Even the mayor is here.
Whoo!
Hello!
One more time!
Yee-haw!
Ride that son of a bitch, EIIa!
Oh! Scheisse.
Come on! Come on!
Mmm!
Ah! The water was real good.
Driving like that sure heats me up.
He's a man's horse. He is not timid.
James, am I really pretty?
You never answer anything personal.
How anyone can think so much is beyond me.
- Now I'm doing it.
- What?
- Thinking.
- How do you like it?
I don't.
You once said you liked me
because I didn't.
Didn't what?
Think so much. Jesus.
When did I say that?
I don't remember the time of day.
But you said it all right.
- Well, what do you think?
- About what?
Leaving.
- Here?
- Wyoming.
- Wyoming?
- Yeah.
You son of a bitch.
Is that what the present was for?
I think you ought to stop fucking me around
and tell me directly what's on your mind.
The state's gonna declare war.
Would you go?
AIone?
No, of course I won't.
What the hell would you think I would say?
Goddamn it, it's different this time.
Maybe it ain't things are different.
Maybe it's you.
I'm getting old.
Mmm.
You think everything stops
because you're getting old?
Maybe it does.
Two, three, four!
Yee-haw!
Barbed wire and women are the two greatest
civilizing agents in the world!
Whoo!
Bravo!
Bravo!
- Are you okay?
- Whew! I can cut a steer...
I can put
my red-hot monogram on a maverick...
in the darkest night that ever blew, EIIa...
but I am poorly put up to paralyze
a beautiful young thing like you...
with matchless eloquence -
Ah!
Just stay - Get -
Oh, Jesus.
I don't understand you.
I never did.
I'm asking you to leave, EIIa.
Late for local business, isn't it?
Looks like Ella's been real busy.
Hello.
Come in.
You pay in advance here.
Cash or cattle?
Dozen head of long twos enough?
You can stay a whole damn year on that.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Is that you, George?
Yeah. Howdy, Nate.
You boys pay your tally here
in cash money?
- For sure, Nate.
- Sure.
It's getting cold in here.
Good-bye.
Who's the photographer?
Just an ordinary photographer.
Passing through from St. Louis.
It's always the little skinny guys
that surprise you.
I might do a little surprising
around here myself tonight.
Oh, yes?
Situation out back's
looking very prosperous.
You're getting too greedy, EIIa.
You never waste time, do you?
I'd awfully appreciate it if you'd stop
taking steers for pay from these people.
Just like that?
Yes, ma'am.
- I saw that new rig out in the barn.
- Mmm. Nice, isn't it?
Jim back, is he?
This morning.
I'll take you for a ride tomorrow
if you want to.
He's here now, is he?
Mm-hmm.
Upstairs.
I knew.
I felt it.
Please, Nate.
You want to stay here tonight?
So you have to take him back.
He has the claims court tomorrow.
Goddamn.
Thank you, Nate.
You got style, Jim.
I'll give you that.
He ain't young anymore.
I'll take care of him, Mr. Champion.
Thank you.
Mr. Averill is lucky
to have a friend like you.
Uh-oh.
Where you going in such a rush, Nell?
Aw, shit!
I'm gonna have me picture taken.
These goddamn son of a bitchin' cows.
Jesus Christ!
You can't even take a shit around here
without stepping in it.
Look at this!
I'm up to me ass in shit.
- Goddamn it!
- Don't get nervous, Nate.
I'm going right back
to watch the place now.
Dirty son of a -
Entre.
I like to watch you write figures.
Why?
I don't know. It just pleases me.
I thought you were getting to like me.
I do.
But I like money.
Why don't you quit this business?
I have enough money for both of us now.
That sounded close to a proposal.
Jim asked me to go away with him.
What?
I said Jim asked me to go away with him.
What did you say?
I said I would think about it.
Goddamn.
There's another man been shot
by the Association's foreman - Nate Champion.
It was him shot Mike Kovach.
I know that, George.
Jim -
I don't think you want
to finish that, George.
And I haven't had my coffee yet.
Thank you.
Thank you, boys.
It's a long day.
You sure look like hell.
I really live it up when you're away.
You're a friend, Nate,
so I'll come straight to it.
It's getting dangerous here,
and I want EIIa to leave.
Good morning to you, too.
What makes you think she wants to go?
Let me put it this way.
I'm not asking her.
- What about me?
- What about you?
What do you want, Nate?
Want?
How the hell do I know?
Get rich.
Like you.
What am I supposed to want?
That's not a bad answer.
I don't understand you.
I do not understand you.
There's a lot of things
you don't understand.
You're beginning to sound
like a man with a paper asshole, Jim.
I guess you've stretched your legs
under my table long enough, Nate.
Man don't take on what he can't finish.
Son of a bitch.
- Where are the others?
- Nick's got them watched.
I had a year of this.
Dusk till dawn, dusk till dawn.
There's getting to be
too many of them.
Too many people and not enough cattle.
We break our backs out here...
and EIIa breaks her back
on these Hunky mudfuckers.
What the hell was that for?
You just shut your big mouth, shitpoke.
Well, kiss my ass.
Son of a bitch.
You get on out of here.
Right now.
EIIa ain't your friend.
She ain't nobody's friend!
Hyah!
I got it! I got it!
I got it!
Goddamn, you dumb-ass son of a bitch!
What the hell's the matter with you?
- Is Captain Minardi here, boy?
- Goddamn ball went right in the swamp.
All right, let's go!
You see that disaster out there?
Private told me to tell you
it was the swamp, Frank.
"Swamp." You dumb son of a bitch!
All he can do is shoot.
- Captain -
- Southerners. Shit.
An army of mercenaries
is about to invade Johnson County.
As president of the chamber of commerce,
I demand that you put Company "C" -
Mr. Eggleston.
Of the National Guard on alert
in Johnson County.
I have a standing order
to resist all commands...
other than those directly
from the governor himself.
- How long you had that, Frank?
- A week's time now.
- A week?
- I been expecting you.
You know, Frank,
those men are gobbling up the whole state.
I still can't help you, Jim.
It's not me. You understand?
It's the rules.
Do you have the death list?
Seems balls are getting scarce
as hen's teeth in the army.
You know what I really
dislike about you, Jim?
You're a rich man with a good name.
You only pretend to be poor.
This is damn near everyone in the county.
"EIIa Watson."
What the hell's she doing on this thing?
It, uh...
says she takes stolen cattle
in payment for carnal pleasures.
I guess some of these new citizens
would rather get laid than feed their families.
It's all going to be legalized, Jim.
What'll you do?
My job.
You knew what you were
getting yourself into.
You can't...
force salvation on people, Jim.
It doesn't work.
I don't appreciate your job anymore, kid.
All right.
All right. All right!
Stop it!
- Stop it!
- Come on!
He doesn't give a damn about you.
He didn't see fit to even tell you himself.
Tell me what?
The Association's got a death list...
and your name's on it.
My father was killed that way.
Get up, Nate.
I'm gonna whip your ass.
- Stop, please. Now. Please, James, stop it.
- I ain't through with you yet.
Nate, is it true?
I swear to Christ, EIIa...
I don't even know what he's talking about.
What's going to happen to me, Nate?
I asked you to be my wife, EIIa.
Where are you going?
You - You know I'm not going
to let anything happen to you.
I never have before.
You buy me things,
and he asked me to marry him.
Maybe it was always in my mind to.
Well, that's not good enough.
Hurting now?
He's just lucky we stopped
before he got into real trouble.
Yes.
When will you decide?
I don't know.
I suppose if - if I were you, I'd say no.
You know?
You would?
No question in my mind.
- Why?
- I don't know. There just isn't any.
You could be very wrong, you know.
Jim ain't your friend, EIIa.
He ain't nobody's friend.
He'll quit anybody if it suits him.
Whoa.
Tie him.
Hey, Nate.
Hello, EIIa.
This sure is a fine-looking rig
you got here, ain't it?
An old boy hunting wolves come by...
and I told him that he could
spend the night here.
Why don't you come in for a while?
You haven't been here for a long time.
I've fixed the place up inside.
What have you done to it?
- Wallpaper.
- Wallpaper?
Where did you find wallpaper?
Uh, everybody, that's Fred.
Say howdy, Fred.
Uh, that's EIIa Watson...
and, uh, that's John DeCory
hanging in the back there.
Oh.
- You ready?
- Mm-hmm.
Wallpaper?
Yeah, well, it, uh...
civilizes the wilderness...
if you know what I mean.
It's beautiful.
Um -
That don't appear to be right at all.
Hey, where are ya goin' now?
Where ya goin'?
Jesus!
Damn it.
Stopped.
It can't have stopped.
It can't have gone that far yet.
I never could stand this job anyways.
Hyah!
Come on! Let's go!
Stick that right there.
You're late.
The governor came to see us off, Frank.
How much time do you
estimate here, Canton?
Forty minutes.
Telegraph's cut.
Have the proper warrants been issued?
The president himself
asked for these men to go, Billy.
Escort dismissed!
- Columns of two. Ho!
- Come on, John.
Let's move it out!
Move it out! To your left!
Let's go!
Get the rest of that out of there.
Come on, unload those. Let's go!
Armor made the knight. The crown a king.
What are we?
Good morning to ya.
You have a nice sleep out here?
Say, who's minding the train station?
Another citizen.
Heading over to Johnson County, are ya?
Uh, yeah.
Yeah, I'm heading over there myself.
You mind if I ride along?
Well...
you can - you can suit yourself...
citizen.
What do you think of my new suit here?
I paid $50 on credit for it.
More than likely
pay it off real soon though.
Fuck! Oh, Christ!
Oh, Jesus! God!
They're comin'.
Oh! Oh, no!
Jesus.
They're coming!
And ever since then...
I have never been hit by a bullet.
I been shot at many times...
but I never been hit.
On the other hand now -
catching wolves is baby's work.
I can - I can catch a wolf
with my bare hands.
That's impossible.
It is?
How do you do that?
Well...
first of all...
you let the critter attack you.
You let him attack?
That's right.
You don't do a damn thing.
You just stand there real calm.
Yeah? Well, then what?
What do you mean then what?
Then... when that son of a bitch
opens his -
opens his jaws to bite your fool head off...
you reach your hand down in there
like lightning and - Whoa!
You grab hold his tongue.
What the hell good's that gonna do you?
He can't bite you
if you got ahold of his tongue.
I don't see that at all.
Well, try it.
Try it. Stick out your tongue.
Come on, Nick.
Show us what you got in there.
Yeah. Come on.
Stick out your tongue.
Go on.
- Aw, hell. Here.
- Come on.
- See that? Now bite me.
- Bite him, Nick.
- See that?
- Bite him!
He can't do a damn thing. Look at this, miss.
I got ahold of him. He can't bite.
Bite him. Bite him, Nick.
Come on, bite him.
Bite that thing!
Here. Maybe I ought to just cut it off.
Shall I cut it off?
- Cut it off.
- Shall I cut it off?
Son of a bitch. He was right.
But now what happens
when you let go?
He kills you.
You got to hang on till help comes.
Well, why don't -
why don't you stay for supper?
I have things to settle with Jim.
That feel better?
Bye-bye, Nick.
Keep your tongue in your head.
You know I will.
- Bye-bye.
- Miss.
Will I be seeing you anymore then?
Maybe.
Uh-huh.
I'm glad I made up my mind, Nate.
Don't scratch that fancy paint none, EIIa.
The captain told me
the National Guard can't do anything...
but I'm sure you already know that.
Ruhe! Ruhe!
Go on! Speak! We wait for you!
Goddamn it, quiet!
There's an armed mob of paid men...
about to... invade your county.
- With the open threat... to destroy...
- Shh.
The lives and property of your friends.
Ruhe.
The Stock Growers Association...
has the names
of some of you people on a list.
A hundred and twenty-five names.
What are the names on the list?
What names?
Kormanik, V.
Kormanik, I.
Shh! Shh!
Shh.
Kopestonsky, G.
Schultz, D.B.
Kaiser, A.
Albert.
Glover, Jr., B.
Shermerhorn, W.R.
Guthrie, W.
Watson, E.
What are you going to do, huh?
You going to let them kill us?
Hastings, B.!
Kurz, D.
Szarabajka, C.
No!
Widman, T.!
Fraleigh, T.!
Koppelman, H.!
Fritz, D.!
Swann, S.!
Gorb, P.!
Everyone!
And you say everyone!
Whoa!
Now, John, you go and get Mr. Averill
and tell him to come here as fast as he can.
All right? Whoa, Taffy!
Whose horses are those?
Those are the Association's horses. Hurry up.
Hurry up!
Hello.
Help yourself.
There is enough whiskey for all of you.
There's enough here to take -
take a bath.
Enjoy yourselves.
I'll go and get the girls.
If you don't stop...
I'll bend that iron around your head.
It's all right, ain't it, Morrison?
I believe it's you the boys want.
All of them.
Okay, you pay in advance here.
Cash.
Or cattle.
I believe you have enough
of the Association's cattle out back...
to pay for all of us...
without coming up for air...
the whole month of July.
No! No! No!
No! No!
No! No! No!
No! N-No!
No! No! No!
- No!
- Oh!
No!
No! No, no, please - No.
No!
Stay with me.
It's all right.
Maybe you'll understand better
the kind of people you're working for now.
The tragedy, Nate...
is you people were in the right...
legally.
But they just threw that away.
Oh, my God.
- What's going on here?
- Firing squad.
- Who gave that order?
- Canton.
Before I could get to my feet...
hit on me with a log...
biting and stomping.
Grabbed the little bitch
around the neck.
This time, I had my knife.
I didn't stop cutting
until I felt the blood running.
Not in here!
I have nothing to say to you.
You better have a guaranteed warrant
for every name on that list.
Show me one for the man
outside right now.
Major?
When the fix is equal...
then justice must prevail.
Shut up, Billy.
You people make me sick.
Let's not have any
last-minute sentimentalism...
about the killing
of a few thieves and anarchists.
Did you ever kill a man yourself, Canton?
Mr. Champion...
my grandfather was
the secretary of war to Harrison.
His brother was a governor
of the state of New York.
My brother-in-law
is the secretary of state...
and, to you,
I represent the full authority...
of the government of the United States
and the president.
Fuck him too.
Bravo, sir.
I've had about enough
of your shit too, Billy!
You silly son of a bitch!
You were hired to enforce the law.
We are the law.
Is that supposed to mean
you're going to Nate?
EIIa?
Do you think a woman
can't love two men?
Sure, you can.
Why not?
Or three.
But it sure as hell isn't convenient.
I can manage it.
Can you? Even after today?
Today was just the beginning.
Do you think they'd have tried
what they did if it wasn't -
if something bigger wasn't coming?
Everything I have in the world is here.
I can't just walk out and leave it.
This?
This junk?
Jesus Christ, EIIa, these are just things.
The world's full of things.
I can buy you all the things you want.
You'll never understand.
Spare me that, will you?
Christ, the piety of a whore.
What does "piety" mean?
A dumb whore.
Those are my books.
I can see what they are.
- Balanced to the penny.
- I don't care about that now.
I do.
I never cheated on you.
I always made Nate pay.
That was all a nice game, EIIa...
and it's over.
He asked me to marry him.
EIIa, I'm asking you again to leave.
I'm begging you.
I do care for you.
I'm grateful to you, Jim, for everything.
And I love you...
for it.
Try to believe my feeling for you.
And my debt to you for the...
protection in the beginning and now
remains unchanged.
What else can I tell you?
It is Nate, isn't it?
You're a hard man to compliment.
Well, you take it all.
Both of you.
It's more your country than mine anyway.
Good-bye, EIIa.
I'll miss you.
J.B.
Have a last drink with me.
I hate getting old.
Averill?
You boys make yourself at home.
Is everybody here?
Yeah, all except for the idiots
who want to fight.
We're not all, uh, anarchists...
a-and, uh, criminals here, Averill.
We're -
We're storekeepers and merchants.
Why'd you come here?
Uh, we want you to talk to them, um...
to offer to help turn in
the people on the list.
They have the law on their side.
The National Guard can't help us.
The law is the law.
See, whatever it is, it is.
It's your job.
You look like a man
about to shit a pumpkin, Charlie.
I don't have to take that, Averill.
I'm the mayor here.
You are out now. You're fired.
They have 50 men, Charlie.
Together you're 200.
Your - Your hopes are exaggerated.
In the end they will -
they will get it all anyway.
And if it takes a hundred years -
But - But they will get it.
Well, what about right now, Charlie?
Right here.
I'm sorry. I'm -
I'm afraid you have misjudged us.
You can't fire me, Charlie.
But I just quit.
Good morning.
Wh - Good morning.
Well, I was just going to take a bath.
You taking a bath too?
Oh.
Oh, shit.
- You know him?
- Never seen him before.
How many are in there?
Nate Champion?
We're wasting time here, Canton.
These two don't matter anymore.
Well, they're resting the horses anyway.
It'll be good for discipline.
You ought to understand that
better than anyone else.
You're the professional army man.
I'm the amateur.
You go in there...
and tell them they're
completely surrounded...
and they must surrender immediately.
If you come back out,
we'll hold our fire till you're clear.
You have one minute.
It's comin' in like hail!
Hyah! Hyah!
Jesus Christ! EIIa!
Jesus Christ! Damn it!
Nate.
I got that loud...
son of a bitch!
I reckon that man has killed himself.
Goddamn you!
Christ!
Should've gone right into town.
Shh!
We all want to hold together...
to push ourselves ahead,
to protect what we have.
And make more of it.
There's no use in lying down or giving up.
He says that...
he quits this morning...
his employment of Averill.
Jim Averill came here
to protect people's rights.
Ja. Averill is still his friend.
There is only one crime
in this country...
and that is to get caught!
No!
Nyet! Nyet!
They are opposed...
to - to anything that would settle...
and improve things in this country.
Or try to make it
something more than...
Cow pasture.
Cow pasture...
for - for...
Eastern speculators!
They...
advanced the idea...
that poor people have nothing to say
in the affairs of this country!
They're here.
They're here.
They're already here.
We're going to shoot
all the sons of bitches!
And even the army won't save them!
He's dead.
Well, say something, goddamn it.
What? I told you so?
Well, I told you so.
He loved you.
He thought you were his friend.
I'm not responsible.
He knew what was coming.
He made his own decision.
And so did you.
They just voted against you, Charlie!
Your fears are unfounded!
Somebody, please!
We need a physician!
EIIa!
Come on, EIIa! Come on!
You're going the wrong way!
This way!
Don't leave me!
EIIa, go home!
Mount up.
Boys.
They're coming!
Whole damn town's coming!
What the hell's going on?
Hyah!
Stay together! Keep on!
Get over there, boys!
Over in there!
Move it around those trees!
Get in there!
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah!
Get that wagon over here!
Everybody get in position over here!
Get yourself around these trees!
Go into kneeling position!
Dismount!
Get your horses in here and dismount!
Come on!
You son of a bitch!
- Get that wagon over here!
- Stay in position!
Get the hell out of here!
Get down by these trees!
Did you hear the command?
Get in position!
Get in shooting position!
Do not fire until I command!
Fire!
Stay down, goddamn it!
Get the hell out of here!
Get down!
Get down, Billy!
I sometimes wonder
why the hell you're here at all!
For America!
Too many of them, Wolcott.
It's not like the Indians.
You can't just kill them all.
Finally hit us some pay dirt here.
Get down!
This time last year I was in Paris.
I love Paris.
Get off the wagons!
Aah!
David!
Oh, God, do I love Paris.
Get down!
All flesh is grass.
Sad -
Sad thing.
Come with me.
Wolcott!
I'm going for help.
I'll be back!
Get out of range! Take cover!
Pull back across the river!
Take cover!
I...
just want to live.
"It don't look as if there's much chance
of my getting away.
I hope they did not hurt EIIa.
The house is all fired.
Good-bye, EIIa and Jim...
if I never see you again.
Nathan D. Champion."
Are you all right, EIIa?
Wait for me at your place.
Is really good work.
Where did you get idea for this?
Romans used them,
something like 2,000 years ago...
on terrain just about like this.
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
Go!
Those goddamn Romans.
Go!
Averill, you son of a bitch,
we're going to hang you.
Shh! Shh!
Go!
Push!
Keep going!
Stay behind and push!
- Everyone together!
- Come on!
I think my legs are broken!
Get back!
These men are under arrest
by military authority!
You can all go home now!
Frank.
You know these men are under
the jurisdiction of civil authorities.
Well...
I have here a telegram
from the governor...
stating in the most positive terms...
that only immediate
and drastic action...
on the part of authorities
outside and above county officials...
can reduce the current state
of almost anarchy...
in Johnson County.
"Almost anarchy."
Jim, you can let me
take them out of here peacefully...
or you can get shot for insurrection.
Rescue 'em is what you're doing.
I told you, Jim,
it's not me that's doing it to you.
It's the rules.
Company, move out!
Follow about!
Damn you!
Oh! EIIa!
EIIa.
Oh, EIIa, don't die.
Oh, please.
Oh, my God.
I'd like a cigarette.