Hold it!
Jim, if you wanna stay alive,
you'd better be more careful.
Chris, I've been on the trail a long time.
- I've been lookin' for ya.
- Well, we'd better get you into town.
Come on.
I'm scared, Ma. I'm really scared.
I'm not excusing it, ma'am. He did wrong.
But the punishment don't fit the crime.
He's only 18.
Only a boy.
- What did you do?
- I was just funnin'. Busted into a store.
Help us, please, ma'am.
Talk to your husband.
Save your tears, seora.
The marshal has no mercy,
no sympathy, no compassion.
- What did he do?
- Pepe Carral?
He's knocked over most
every bank in this territory.
And Big Walt over there, he's just
too strong for his own brainpower.
Chris.
Chris.
No.
But he's only a boy.
He had a man's wants
when he was robbin'.
And he didn't spend the money
he stole on grub for his family.
He spent it on women, liquor and cards.
And then, when he's caught,
he calls himself a boy again.
If you put him in that Tucson hellhole,
he'll come out a wild animal.
That storekeeper you robbed has six kids.
You ruined him.
You wiped out ten years of hard work
for just one night. One good time.
- I learned my lesson, honest.
- Chris, please.
No.
You're supposed to be an important man.
A friend of the governor's.
Why, you're worse than any man
you ever sent to Tucson.
Is there any man in there
that's killed as many men as you?
Not by half, there isn't.
I didn't kill for the same reasons they did.
You're not as pure as them
that stands before you.
Name's Noah Forbes, Marshal.
I've decided to do for you
what Ned Buntline did for Bill Cody.
- Make a damn fool of me.
- Make you famous.
You're a writer?
You name a big city newspaper
and I've worked on it.
That means you're pretty good...
or you can't hold a job.
All you have to do is talk to me.
I'll do the writing, you get a third.
I met Buntline.
Read his stuff. Mostly trash.
Things weren't anything like that.
Listen, what people think is true is a lot
more important than what really is true.
Can't get rich telling 'em they're wrong.
I don't make my livin' that way.
Look, somebody's gonna write about you
anyway. Why shouldn't it be me?
All right. But you get half.
And you don't print anything I don't like.
It's a deal.
Rye. Bring a bottle
and put it on the marshal's bill.
I'll be a little short till I finish the book.
You better write good.
What are you doin' here? You should
be flat on your back for a week.
I ain't got a week, Chris.
I ain't got an hour to spare.
Well, come on. Have a drink anyway.
Jim Mackay, Noah Forbes.
Here's a man you could write about.
- He's ridden with me more than once.
- Lawman, Mr Mackay?
- I used to be a bounty hunter.
- One of the few that brought 'em in alive.
But I'm a lawman now.
And don't you laugh, Chris.
A legal and respectable town marshal.
They've got a good man. What town?
Magdalena, down Sonora way.
It's a farmin' settlement.
Mostly Mexican. A few American families.
We get along just fine.
An American marshal in a Mexican town.
They couldn't be too particular.
They needed help bad.
You see, we border De Toro's territory.
Who's De Toro?
Bandit. Raids both sides of the border.
The cavalry and the rurales
could stop him if they'd cooperate,...
.. but neither side lets the other
cross the frontier.
Those two pistoleros. De Toro's?
I guess they figure I'm comin'
to look for some of the old bunch.
Jim, I've crossed that border
three times to fight bandits.
- I ain't goin' down there again.
- Chris, he's bound to hit us any time.
He's got 50, 60 men.
I got a handful of farmers.
And I've got a good job.
And a new wife who's still
practically a bride.
I don't like to bring this up, Chris,
but I saved your life one time.
That doesn't give you
any right to ask for it now.
Besides, didn't I save your neck today?
Doesn't that make us even,
if you're keepin' score?
You told me then, Chris, "I owe you.
You want something, you ask, you got it. "
I hung on to that promise for ten years.
I saved it like grubstake,...
.. waitin' for something important
to come along, and I'm askin' now.
No, Jim. I can't.
Remember that first time, Chris?
Seven of us got $350. $50 apiece.
Well, those folks in Magdalena, they trust
me. Me, Chris, with everything they got.
I got $3,000 here. One thousand of it's
yours for just a couple of weeks' work.
Well, maybe some of the others.
Dead, mostly. Or semiretired, like me.
Skinner or Elliot?
Tucson prison.
Who brought 'em in, Chris?
Times change, Jim.
They couldn't accept it.
Yeah, well.
I guess I don't neither.
Luck, Chris.
Luck.
I'm glad you didn't lock it.
I figured you'd break it down if I did.
Chris.
He's only 18.
Hickok, Clay Allison, the Daltons,...
.. how do you figure I outlived them?
By knowing when not to take
unnecessary chances.
Now, that's hard,
but it's the only way that works.
Works against who?
I mean, Shelly's no
Mark Skinner or Pepe Carral.
I'm not asking you to help gunfighters.
Judge Parker said to me once:
"The men I hanged never killed again,
but plenty that I didn't hang did. "
You tell me he's wrong.
He wasn't talking about a boy
who robbed a store.
I've buried a lot of friends who thought
fuzzy-faced kids weren't dangerous.
Means a lot to you, huh?
I don't owe Shelly a damn thing
and I do him a big favour.
I owe Jim Mackay a lot,
and I don't do anything for him.
I can't seem to do anything right.
Sure you can.
Come on.
Chris, how come
I'm in chains and Walt isn't?
He promised not to get away.
- And you believed him?
- Yeah, I believed him. Come on.
(Chris) Hold it.
I'm sorry, Chris,
but these irons spoil my aim.
- (Chris) Hello, Skinner.
- I'll see you next time I bust out.
I'll be here.
Beats me where he hid it. He learns hard.
- Forget about it.
- If you say so.
All right, bring 'em on.
Hold it. Wait a minute. Leave him.
Shelly.
You go on home. And stay out of trouble.
Hold it, Marshal.
I got an order to bring him in.
You had an order. Go on, get.
Yaah!
Come on.
(Skinner) Bust him, Pepe.
Damn you, Chris!
You give everybody a break but me!
(Skinner) Kill the bastard.
That lousy kid doesn't deserve letting off!
(Pepe) I'll kill you.
I will, Chris.
- I'll kill you.
- Not if I get to him first.
Pepe.
Thanks.
A glass of water.
I put this on your bill.
You can play me for things
that aren't important.
Just don't try it with anything that is.
I already figured that out for myself.
Wanna get some work done?
OK, the battle of Adobe Walls.
What was that like?
Well, there were 28 of us.
Bat Masterson, me,
Billy Dixon, one woman.
Rest of 'em were buffalo hunters.
Quanah Parker had
What happened?
We had a hell of a fight.
And?
We won.
Waah!
Boy, when I saw that wagon
pullin' out without me,...
.. I never felt so good in all my life.
All the way over, my feet kept saying
"You're free, free, free!"
To do what? Go back to the same life that
made you risk Tucson in the first place?
You're no better off
than you ever were, Shelly.
- Do you feel like comin' home for lunch?
- Yes.
If you think you're gonna
follow us home, forget it.
OK. I'll run over to the restaurant.
You run a bill there too, don't ya?
Shelly, no!
No, Chris.
No! No!
- Any more shooting'll hit her.
- Get up.
- No.
- Get up. Come here.
(Chris groans)
You're gonna be all right, huh?
Hell, I already wrote your epitaph,
had the governor comin' to your funeral.
Thanks.
Well, she nursed you, Chris.
She hasn't slept in 48 hours.
Where's Arrila?
They, uh... took her.
Oh, God.
I guess he just couldn't stand the farm.
(woman) What are you going to do?
Kill them.
Hey, don't die just ridin' along.
That'd be a real anticlimax.
On the other hand, we could say you
left your deathbed, just died on the trail.
That has a real good ring to it.
How far you figure we've come?
I tell you, it feels more like a thousand.
Damn it, my ass hurts.
How can anything stuffed
with hay be this hard?
There's somethin' down there.
It looks like hers.
It's a tough climb, Chris. I'll go.
Dead?
Don't go, Chris. Don't.
Did they use her?
Raped, killed and left for the buzzards.
Hank? Hank, you usin' all your blankets?
I'm cold. I'm damned cold.
Go to sleep.
- Thought we was outta coffee.
- We are.
Get up.
Do you want it lyin' there or on your feet?
Marshal, please. You gotta understand.
We've been gettin' up
before light since we was five.
Work all day then go to sleep
because we couldn't afford kerosene.
Was we wrong wantin' to get away?
Wantin' to get away wasn't wrong.
It's how you did it that was wrong.
Now, where's Shelly?
Find him yourself.
You're a lawman.
You gotta take us in to trial.
He won't shoot us
in cold blood. I don't bluff.
Where's Shelly?
- He cut out. For Mexico.
- When?
Right after we left town.
Your wife... that was Hank.
I had nothin' to do with it.
I didn't even watch.
And you didn't help her.
He's my brother.
Him for what he did,...
.. and you for what you didn't do.
(whimpering)
You could've taken 'em back.
Do you have any doubt they were guilty?
If I waited around for what you ask,
Shelly's trail'd go cold.
It still wasn't right.
Chris!
Chris! Up here!
(Jim) I knew you wouldn't let me down.
Have you seen a young fella ridin'
past here in the last few days?
Blond, about five ten,
Yeah, yesterday. I tried to hire him,
but he was in a hurry.
- Chris, De Toro's on the rampage.
- As usual.
And I got nothin' behind me but a pack of
good intentions. Farmers, shopkeepers.
Them two I hired yesterday. Paid 'em less
than I offered you and they ain't worth it.
As for the rest, I guess they're willin'
enough to get killed, but I need killers.
- That why you thought of Chris?
- Didn't mean it the way it come out.
Before De Toro hits, Jim,
you'd better ride outta here.
Stayin's suicide.
That ain't gonna do you no good.
- Would you ride out?
- I wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.
Lemonade. Unsweetened.
It helps fight the thirst.
Thanks.
You make a hell of a posse man,
Padre. Where's your gun?
- I told him he didn't have to wear one.
- Not that I would have, anyway.
I fight a different battle.
I use different weapons.
This is De Toro's kind of a battle.
You're not impressed
with my congregation?
They've been welded
together by adversity.
In many ways, I've already
won my biggest battle.
- God works in strange ways.
- He's got me confused most of the time.
When we first came to Magdalena,
we only felt the differences between us.
Now he's taught us
and bound us together.
Well, under the circumstances,
I'm not sure he's done you any favours.
You realise you're likely
all to be dead soon?
If that's his will, we're ready to die.
I'm not too worried about meeting him.
Somehow, I'm not so sure
you won that exchange.
I'm not so sure he did either.
If your whole posse is made up of tigers
like him, you're in bad trouble.
- Aren't you bein' a little tough on him?
- No tougher than De Toro's gonna be.
Where does that leave me?
Alone.
Chris.
Good luck.
- (Chris) Shelly's in a mighty big hurry.
- (Noah) Let's go.
- De Toro?
- Yeah.
It looks like Shelly's joined 'em. Come on.
Hey, take it easy.
We're liable to catch up with him!
(gunshots)
That's how Shelly bought into the gang.
That's where Mackay set up his ambush.
- Shelly's led him right in behind 'em.
- Damn it to hell. Come on.
(gunshots)
(Noah) You're not going
down there, are you?
(Chris) Come on.
(Noah) I don't see Mackay.
Maybe he took your advice and lit out.
(Chris) I didn't think he would.
I don't know whether I'm glad or not.
Sure been a lot of killin' since I met you.
Well, shall we bury 'em?
The livin' need us more.
There can't be anything left in their town
but the women... and De Toro.
I guess they took off.
There's one by the cantina. Another
in the door of the mission, coverin' us.
Ease off your saddle.
Keep your horse between
you and the mission.
Right.
Manos arriba!
Noah! It's safe now.
Are you sure?
- (door opens)
- (women sobbing)
Chris.
Thank you.
I'm Laurie Gunn.
Uh, Miss or Mrs?
Mrs. I mean, uh...
Oh, I'm sorry.
Let her cry. She'll feel better.
Here.
I'm Noah Forbes. Call him Chris.
Jim Mackay talked about you.
He said you would come and help.
Only you got here too late.
How are the other women?
Oh, God. I just hope
none of us gets pregnant.
Can you tell me about it?
There are only 17 of us women.
And, uh... De Toro came riding in here
with about 40... 50 men.
He... he told us that he had
found our men in the hills.
And that he had killed them all.
Did he say where
he was goin' from here?
Did he say when he'd be back?
I think they were going to Texas.
They'll stop here on their way home.
Probably take you back with him.
That's what he said.
- Most of the others are asleep.
- Oh, Madge.
- When could you take us away?
- We'll round up horses in the morning.
- But they took them all away.
- We can walk.
Walk? Across the desert?
- You'll all die the first day out.
- At least it's a chance.
Look, De Toro can ride 20 miles
while you're walking one.
If he catches you out in the open,
he'll just butcher you.
- We'll go for help.
- Where?
The rurales can't do anything.
The US troops can't cross the border.
Volunteers won't come here and fight
De Toro. Mackay's already tried it.
- What are you saying?
- There must be something.
- I'm open for suggestions.
- If they come back here, I'll kill myself.
Damn you! Think of something.
Maybe I can get a few men
tough enough to match De Toro.
(Noah) Where?
Tell me everything you know about him.
What's he like? How he acts? Everything.
Well, uh...
The first thing you notice
about him are... his eyes.
They tell you that he's mad.
Crazy mad.
- Come on. Let's go.
- You better eat somethin'.
You won't get a chance again
for quite a while.
Hey, this isn't like with Mackay?
We're not gonna cut out on 'em?
No, or I'd have told 'em
so they could make other plans.
Suddenly it is not so bad, huh?
- What?
- Me bein' a killer.
No, it's turned out to be quite useful.
There's somethin' else. We don't
have to go lookin' for Shelly now.
He's gonna come ridin' in
with De Toro. Come on.
- You will come back?
- Yeah.
Suppose they come back before you do?
Just pray they don't.
Stop worryin'. We'll be back.
(Chris) I knew he wouldn't run.
Shelly. Mackay killed him.
The women need you anyway.
You gotta help 'em, Chris.
You promised.
He did my job.
I'll do his.
- I don't think this is quite legal.
- I don't care what you think.
The governor's approved it. He's the boss.
- I won't turn these men loose.
- You're not turnin' 'em loose.
You're paroling them in my custody.
It don't seem right, turning 'em loose
to do the very things...
.. they were put in here
for doing in the first place.
Marshal, I think you oughta know.
They're not quite so tough any more.
- I had to do a bit of taming.
- You didn't tame 'em, you broke 'em.
They weren't sent here for a vacation.
Pepe.
- Chris, I've been thinking about you.
- Have you?
You better believe it.
How's it goin', Walt?
- Answer!
- It's all right.
It's not all right.
They're in my custody now.
Captain.
May I ask what you mean about
us being in your custody now?
Can you still handle dynamite, Elliot?
Good.
- Still smiling, huh, Skinner?
- Only on the outside, Chris.
- Fast as ever?
- I wish you'd try me.
I've got pardons here, signed
by the governor for each of you.
When I countersign 'em,
you'll be free men.
- Well, then, sign 'em.
- You're gonna earn 'em first.
- How?
- Join a posse I'm leadin'.
- Go to hell.
- All right, put him back in his cell.
Hey, wait a minute.
All right, Chris.
- Whatever you say.
- Who are we going after?
- Juan De Toro.
- Into Mexico?
Pardons, hell. That's seven against 70.
You're takin' us in there to get killed.
The odds are long. Pay's good.
But there is one hitch.
If I get killed by you, by accident
or by De Toro's bunch,...
.. the governor will assume that you did it.
And he'll come trackin' you down
and hang every one of you.
But we'll be in Mexico.
All right, who wants to go?
(Chris) Walt?
Get the chains off of 'em.
Right face. March!
You fool. Can't you see
what they're thinking?
They'll let you lead them into Mexico,
then blow your head off and join De Toro.
I'm sure that's exactly
what they're thinkin'.
- That's all we're taking?
- Yeah.
- Let's get more men.
- Seven's always been my lucky number.
Damn it, couldn't you have waited
till you got farther away from here?
Take 'em.
Here's a double for you, Skinner.
Well, you only need one
if you're really good.
Figured you'd like to have that.
Didn't think you'd want one.
Well, I haven't been in
a situation like this lately.
Well, don't blow your foot off.
- Who's the dude?
- He takes notes.
He's gonna write all about you.
All right, when you're ready, mount up.
Elliot. You're gonna drive the wagon.
Hear you had a little trouble.
A few of the boys cut me some.
Did they have good cause?
They thought so. Warden made me
take charge of a work detail.
Had to build up a new cellblock.
And you built it solid?
Well, you'll be buildin' again.
- Stone or brick?
- Barbed wire this time.
Hayes.
At your trial you promised
you were gonna blow my brains out.
- That was the mood of the moment.
- I picked you...
.. because I need a man
who knows battles.
Not gunfights. Battles.
Let's cut through it, Chris.
I'm out and I'm not goin' back.
- You can depend on me.
- I hope so.
(Chris) Let's go.
Let's ride in the rear.
I don't like havin' my back to 'em.
It don't matter. You won't be able to
stop 'em once they make their move.
How long do you figure they'll wait?
This ain't a patient bunch.
This way. Come on.
Chris, this isn't the way
to Magdalena. Where we goin'?
De Toro's stronghold.
- He's not there.
- If he was, we wouldn't be goin' there.
That's gotta be her.
De Toro's woman.
I hope De Toro's as proud
of her as Laurie said.
Well, Laurie was wrong about one thing.
He's not completely crazy mad.
Let me see her.
I'll introduce her to you in time.
So how many... how many
guards do you figure?
Enough to give you your share.
There's a hacienda just over
that hill. There's a few risks.
But there's enough loot in there
to give you all a fresh start.
- You're gonna help us rob a hacienda?
- You'll all be rich by mornin'.
- Rich?
- Why are you bein' so good to us?
I'm doin' no more for you
than you'd do for me.
How in hell do you mean that?
- Like he says it.
- You on his side?
Kept that guard from
busting me with that club again.
Why, you damn fool,
he didn't do that for you.
He just knew if your ass was busted
you couldn't ride a horse.
Was that the reason?
Not exactly.
Hold it. Chris, do you mean that we go in
there and we can take anything we want?
That's exactly what I mean.
- All right, what's your plan?
- Oh, I figured we'd just ride in there...
.. and shoot down anyone carryin' a gun.
Ah, that's sloppy.
Who's in the assault wave? Who are
the reserves? You have to have flankers.
Suppose you get hit,
who assumes command?
Uh, Noah.
- I've got better qualifications.
- Relax, Hayes.
Captain Hayes. I've ambushed Apaches.
Anything in this world
is child's play after that.
He's got a good argument there.
All right, Hayes.
- You.
- You all heard that?
Yeah, we heard that.
Captain.
- All right, I'll work out some tactics.
- Hayes, you're a pain in the ass.
Yeah, but a useful one. Come on, let's go.
Pepe.
Here.
That Gatling gun, right up there.
Everybody else is getting
a better deal than me again, eh, Chris?
- How come I get the worst job?
- Because you're the best with that.
Am I?
You cross me, Pepe, and you'll be
killin' your friends too. Now get goin'.
They're no friends of mine.
Around there.
Walt, check out the stable.
Skinner, got a good one for you.
See those two right there?
Go get 'em.
Come on.
- Take that one alive.
- Yeah, we're just leadin' damn recruits.
We better give 'em a few
more minutes to get in position.
Hey, amigo.
Pepe! Pepe!
Pepe!
- I'm gonna have to get around there.
- OK, I'll draw their fire.
Pepe! Where the hell are you?
Oh, hell.
Up here.
Come on.
Noah. Tie her up.
Gringo desgraciado.
Gracias.
Hayes, bring me the live one.
You speak English?
Now you go to De Toro and you tell him
that I, Chris, degrade his woman.
Skinner.
And you tell him the names of
the rest of the men that did this to him.
Pepe Carral. Walt Drummond.
And Andy Hayes.
Scott Elliot. Noah Forbes.
And Mark Skinner.
You got that?
And you tell him that we'll be waitin'
for him, with his woman, at Magdalena.
Now get goin'.
Stop him!
- What the hell you doin', Chris?
- You old bastards.
You can't go back to the States
cos they'll hang ya.
And you can't join De Toro
because he'll cut your hearts out.
(laughs)
Now we're ready for Magdalena.
They're back! They've come back!
They've come back! They're back!
The marshal, he's come back!
I knew you'd be back.
I want her watched every minute.
She's De Toro's woman.
Martha, you watch her.
You, come on with me.
I said, come with me.
- Who are they?
- Volunteers.
They came to help us.
Why?
They're humanitarians.
Now get some food in your guts.
Then we'll go to work. Come on.
We'll serve everybody over in the cantina.
Bring what you have on the stove.
All right, we haven't got much time.
Will all the women get over against
that wall? The men against the bar.
Now, we've got two days,
three at the most, before they get here.
So we'll be working day and night.
You men'll be headin' work parties.
You'll also need the women to load guns
for you in the fight. So pick your partners.
Try to make it mutual, huh?
No.
No.
- What about them?
- Keep pickin' till they're gone.
You women will be workin',...
.. loadin' for your men,
feedin' them, taking care of 'em.
And draw your own lines.
Now, let's unload that wagon.
Long-range target rifles? These
are single-shots. We need repeaters.
Keep diggin'. And watch those sights.
They're Winchester rifles,
calibre 30-40. Model 1885.
They're brand-new, Captain.
Get the grease out of 'em.
You'll be able to inspect
them with white gloves.
OK, ladies, I want some boiling
water to get rid of that grease.
Shotgun shells, 12-gauge,
double-aught buckshot.
And official police riot guns.
You would get official police guns,
wouldn't you, Chris?
Tell Pepe what you want.
I need you with me.
Come on, Pepe.
- Go to hell.
- Move.
And take your women with you.
And don't go empty-handed.
Laurie, I'm gonna need everything
in town that can hold dirt.
Pillowcases, flour sacks, trouser legs.
- Get them to sow bags out of anything.
- All right, Chris.
All right, come on, construction foreman.
I'll show you why I brought you.
They'll have to come in over there. And
we're gonna have to whittle 'em down.
Now, those target rifles have got range,
so we use those on the first line.
- How many do you think he'll have?
- 40? 50?
We'll dig a row of pits. Then we'll sight in
the rifles and set out range sticks.
When they pass a stake, we'll know
how far away they are and save misses.
Now, those pits'll go right in here.
Well, if his horses are coverin'
.. that means that he's gonna be here
a minute after we open fire.
That should give us time
for about three rounds.
With seven of us shootin', we should
get about 15 to 20 of 'em. More or less.
Now, when they're about 300 yards away,
we'll start fallin' back to the second line.
They're gonna be crawling all over us.
Well, then we'll have to do somethin'
to stop 'em from crawlin' all over us.
Plant a series of charges in these pits.
That'll take care of about five more of 'em.
Chris, when we're retreating,
you have to figure on the losses.
With all that lead flying,
odds are they'll get a couple of us.
Well, then there'll be five
or six of us at the second line.
Which five or six?
Then we'll make
the Winchester line right here.
Same thing. Pits.
Well, if their charge is broken,
they'll take cover.
And you can see where they'll go.
Those little gullies.
I'll plant charges in 'em.
You're both as crazy as De Toro.
What makes you think
he'll do everything you want?
He'll charge the first line
because he's got contempt for us.
Then, when he sees how few we are,...
.. it'll hurt his pride and make him
charge the second line.
- Then what?
- Then he'll start being careful.
- And flank us.
- Yeah.
By then, we should have a third to half
his men, and only lost a few of us.
I wish you'd stop sayin' that.
- They'll be comin' in from all sides.
- I'll figure out some stuff. Wires, charges.
- Strong as you can.
- What happens when they break in here?
We're gonna put the biggest charge
under the altar in the mission.
And take those bastards with us.
- Come on. Time to eat.
- Nah, I gotta keep workin'.
Put the shovel down.
You gotta have somethin' to eat.
Gotta keep up all that strength.
- Is that enough?
- Almost.
Getting killed will at least
bring us some rest.
If you can't handle it, Pepe, go to sleep.
They say if a tree falls
in the forest and no one hears it,...
.. there's a question
of whether it makes any noise.
If none of us lives to tell about this,...
.. can we be covered in glory?
(Hayes) Sure we can.
Feels good to be buildin' again.
We've built good.
Not good enough, maybe,
but... best we could.
I'm satisfied.
Enough money to last me
my whole lifetime.
Clothes to turn any girl's eyes.
Women for the taking.
And I'll be dead
before I can enjoy any of it.
Salud!
Chris, he really had me pegged,
right from the first minute we met.
Said I couldn't hold a job.
Boy, he was just more right than he knew.
Well, he must have
seen something else,...
.. or else he wouldn't have
wasted his time on you.
Butterball, you are looking
at a 14-carat sharpie.
A guy who's always known all
the angles, none of the principles.
But you know a few, or else
you wouldn't know the difference.
You're really determined
to make me feel good, aren't ya?
Don't get angry, but we have enough real
problems without you hashing over these.
That's just the point.
I have started knowing what's real.
For the first time, I know.
This thing, or any other story,...
.. I can tell it,
cos I've learned how to feel it.
This trip with Chris has really taught me
what I've always needed to know.
Now it's too damned late.
Noah said you never had any children.
Don't you like them?
Sure I like 'em. We get along just fine.
Come on.
Down you go.
He said your wife was very pretty.
Why was he talkin' so much about me?
Because I asked him.
Night-night.
Night.
What was your husband like?
Oh,...
.. you wouldn't have noticed him.
He didn't stand out very much in a crowd.
I don't mean that bad, like.
He was a good man.
Not much of a farmer.
And no fighter at all.
But he was good to me.
He loved them. I wasn't unhappy.
Why'd you marry him?
I... I'd rather talk about you.
Well, you've got enough answers
and I don't have any.
He promised me a better life.
A place of our own.
He kept his promise.
Well, I'm a lousy farmer too.
- And I don't keep promises.
- Oh, of course you do.
You promised
you'd come back and you did.
Well, I... I don't make a habit out of 'em.
If we get through this thing tomorrow,...
.. I ain't stickin' around here.
I know.
(gunshots)
Let's go!
Vmonos!
- (Walt groans)
- No!
They'll be comin' back
and we won't be able to hold 'em!
Get the women outta here. Go on!
- Go.
- No!
Vmonos!
Come on!
Give it up, Pepe. Come on!
They're comin' back. Let's go.
(Chris) Anything?
From what I can count,
we've got about half of 'em.
They got about half of us.
The odds are the same
as when we started.
(Laurie) Everybody sit down.
Sit down.
Here. Come on.
- No, Chris. No! Please, no!
- Laurie, stop it!
You know this is the last resort.
Chris! Give her back to him.
Maybe he'll go away.
I would give her back to him.
But she's not important to him now.
He'd see her in hell before
he'd let us get away with this.
Laurie,...
.. you'll have to decide for yourself...
.. and do it or not.
I can't.
All right.
De Toro will let
the children live, won't he?
I don't know what he'll do.
You told me yourself he was crazy mad.
Laurie.
They're fine kids.
Sorry.
He was a good man.
What was his name?
I... I never thought to ask.
It didn't seem important.
He... wasn't much for talkin'.
Walt.
Walt Drummond.
(horses approach)
(woman yells)
De Toro!
(sobbing)
Oh, Chris.
Hey, Chris.
Where's my pardon?
This town needs a sheriff, Skinner.
- Interested?
- It ain't much of a town.
Three men and a passel
of women and kids.
Well, the women are scarce in
this part of the country. Men'll come.
Why not?
(chuckles)
Chris. Did I ever tell you
I was born in Salt Lake?
I'm a Mormon.
(Madge) Noah.
(Chris) Guess I won't be
comin' this way again.
The sheriff here is an old enemy of mine.
If you behaved yourself,
you wouldn't get into any trouble.
- You put him up to that.
- I did not.
- The hell you didn't.
- It's just that they've grown used to you.
Yeah, well, kids pick up bad habits easy.
So do adults.
I ain't makin' no promises.
Who asked you to?
Skinner! You've just
been demoted to deputy!
Yeah, well, that figures.
Wouldn't have had
much time for work anyway.