"More coffee?" "Nay." "You know, marshal, my brother could make you a rich man." "I suppose so." "But all that is unforgiving poison when he's crossed." "It's likely." "He's expecting me home." "He can wait." "He don't like to wait." "You can call him a coyote in nine" "Different languages, he don't even blush." "But you just let" "Somebody bother his kid brother." "Save your breath for the trial." "Why would I shoot that pesky old man in the back?" "I didn't need to." "Why do snakes crawl at night?" "Marshal, this barbed wire is cutting my wrist." "Unlock that" "Handcuff or I bleed to death." "Gonna take me in for hanging," "Ah!" "Not bletch droshek, you don't!" "I'm goin' to smash you down to" "Pint size, old man!" "I'm gonna hook your hide on a fence!" "Pa?" "Mmm." "What do you think about dish washing'?" "I never gave it much thought, son, why?" "Well, it just seems to me" "That dish washing' is always gettin' in the way of eating'." "How do you mean, son?" "Well, you sit down all ready" "To enjoy a nice big plate full o' hot ham and beans, and then," "Well, then you think ahead, and you know that that same plate's" "Gonna have to be washed." "Just takes all the flavor away from the vittles." "Mmm, you sure got a problem" "There, son." "Any idea what we can do about it?" "Well, I dunno." "Maybe, well, maybe we could put it all" "Together on one big slice of bread and then, well, then just," "Well, forget about the plate." "Well, that might work," "But what would you do with a hot bowl o' soup?" "Oh." "What's that?" "I dunno." "Micah!" "Get some water, son." "Go easy, micah?" "Easy." "I'll sit you down here." "We've got to get him to the doctor, mark." "Go out to the wagon, and lay 'im out a bedroll," "Make an easy rest for him." "Easy, micah." "Easy, slow." "You know who did it, micah?" "Can you say his name?" "Was it that back shooter from up in the hills you went after?" "bletch droshek." "Droshek." "back shooter." "You- you" "You're deputizing me, micah?" "ye- yes." "Yes." "The wagon's all ready, pa." "Get your clothes together," "Mark." "You're gonna come along and stay in town with millie." "Why?" "The man who did this is runnin' loose an' free somewhere, son." "Is he gonna be alright, pa?" "I dunno, mark." "I dunno." "Oh, hello, old-timer." "What do you want?" "A man." "Hey?" "I'm lookin' for a man." "Go on, just say somethin'." "I'm a little deaf in this ear" "And I can't hear out of the other." "What man you lookin' for?" "Name is bletch." "Bletch droshek." "I hear that plain enough." "You know him?" "Maybe I do, maybe I don't." "I dunno you." "I'm lucas mccain, from north fork." "Yeah, and what you doin' way over here?" "Where can I find him?" "Ever hear of a mining camp called droshek?" "Named after" "Ott droshek." "Take the trail up through the canyon till there" "Ain't no trail left, that's where droshek town is." "Much obliged." "Mister, they leave me alone" "And I leave them alone." "But let me plain out warn you - don't go" "Up there, it's a one-way trail" "To sorrow." "It's a strange town, unfriendly." "I'm not lookin' for a friend." "I'd like a beer." "Mister?" "You not like, you leave." "I'd like a beer." "you don't like it." "Mountain brew." "Well, no matter what you call it, it's pretty good pilsner." "Not in back, bletch, not in the back." "Who he is?" "Trouble always follows me." "With my bare hands I have" "Build this town." "Everything I have give you" "You don't go that old speech" "Again, I am full-grown man." "You don't own me." "Silence!" "Oh, monalisa." "How many times have I told you," "Stay away from the lowlands," "Make here your place." "Here in these hills is everything you" "Want or need." "What have you done down there?" "I just danced with some" "Farmers' daughters." "Maybe they think I'm not good enough." "That man has more on his mind than girls!" "What have you done?" "Just I dance, I play nothing else, ott, that's swear." "I don't want hear different." "Let me handle him." "Nay." "My marshal handles him." "It's what he's paid for." "Bartender:" "What else you want besides beer?" "I want bletch droshek." "Eh, why don't you ride out while you can?" "Any law in this town?" "He's down the street, our law." "Eh, around the corner." "Marshal?" "Marshal treece." "Lucas mccain, deputy from north fork." "North fork, eh?" "Ya don't" "Mean too much up here." "Now what can I do for you, deputy?" "I'm lookin' for a man named bletch droshek." "Who deputized you, mccain?" "Micah torrance, marshal." "Never heard of 'im." "That's solid brass alright." "You see, I'm the marshal in this here town." "The law is the same any place, marshal." "I came for" "Bletch droshek, and I came a long way." "And you've come a long way for nothing, stranger, cuz this" "Here town just don't give up it's own." "This town's like a cactus" "In a hay field." "Where did it come from?" "First the boat and then the mule." "The men are strong" "Diggers, and their mind real good, old ott sees to that." "Bletch's brother, huh?" "Now, you be careful, deputy." "You could easy get lost down a mine shaft." "If you're not gonna help me," "Marshal, just don't get in my way." "I'm the law man, best you remember that." "You're nothing but a droshek gun - lock, stock, an' barrel." "That's right, deputy." "It's his mine, his people, his town," "And his gun." "They keep you on our leash" "An' throw you a bone once a while, that it?" "I keep my mouth shut, an' I" "Draw real good pay." "Now, hand over that rifle." "You better go call your master." "I said, hand over that rifle." "I want bletch droshek first!" "Don't you try it, mister." "I heard about a real fast rifle" "Cutter up north, maybe you're him." "Maybe, now get out on the street and call my man." "You're just laying out your own grief." "The grief was laid out when your bully went down in a valley" "With a gun, now get out there and start yellin'." "Alright, call 'im." "Bletch droshek!" "Bletch droshek!" "Drop the rifle and don't turn around." "I'll take your marshal." "Well, if you think it'll do" "Any good you go ahead and kill him." "You still look for bletch droshek?" "That's right." "That's me." "And you're gonna be sorry you found him." "What's a measly gopher from the flatlands doin' up here with the" "Eagles?" "You must be lost high pockets." "Where's your brother?" "Never mind about my brother," "He said just to run you out of town." "But marshal, if he" "Attacks me, you kill him." "That's your duty, understand?" "I'll be glad to blast him right through the roof." "Now, there was some talk about back shooting." "This look" "Like back shooting to you?" "Does that make you mad, high pockets?" "That make you want to fight?" "That makes me mad, droshek." "Oh, you big dirt eater." "Bletch droshek challenges you to a duel." "Now, come on, fight." "What's the matter?" "Can you fight?" "You come all the way up" "Here, you don't know how to fight, huh?" "What?" "A big man" "A coward, huh?" "That's why you don't fight, huh?" "Come on fight," "Fight!" "What's the matter?" "Coward, huh?" "Afraid bletch droshek?" "Come on." "Fight, big man!" "Droshek!" "Stop this!" "Unlock those irons." "But he's dangerous, ott, I've heared about him." "Dangerous to a coward," "Perhaps." "Unlock those irons, I have said." "You are a stranger in my town," "Is no one here help you, unless I say so." "I am ott droshek." "I'm lucas mccain, deputy from" "North fork." "I have come for your brother." "But why?" "For murder, maybe two." "Murder?" "It's I am judge an' jury here." "He'll have a fair trial where I'm taking him." "You kill one, maybe two?" "It was self-defense." "In the back?" "Eh?" "He lies like yellow dog." "I am busy man, I don't like lies." "Mccain, I mash you." "I break liars, yellow dogs." "You know this?" "Indian wrestling?" "We call it utakmica, same thing." "But it won't settle murder." "Perhaps not, but sometimes it" "Shames a man into telling the truth." "What's the matter?" "You're" "Like green wood maybe?" "You make lots of smoke but no fire." "I didn't come here for games, I came here for your brother." "Then you're afraid, even if he were guilty never will" "I turn my brother over to a coward." "You got land, mister?" "I've got a ranch on the other side of the mountain." "Well, here is my people, my town, you understand?" "I don't know where you came from but this is a new land and" "You gotta meet justice just like anybody else." "I am justice." "Not in new mexico territory, you're not." "I think maybe you lie about my little brother, huh?" "A dying man spoke his name, and dying men don't lie." "I saw you." "You believe him, an outlander?" "I am judge and jury." "If a man is to die, is I say so." "Then make your choice, him or your own brother?" "Answer back your lies." "This man, he has told the truth." "Some." "One of those high and mighty flatlanders insult me" "And I shoot him." "I couldn't help it." "And what else?" "I broke loose from the marshal, that's all." "You beat the marshal with a rock and hung him on a fence," "He's coming with me." "You want me to be hung down" "There in a strange land, by strange people?" "No, his justice is here." "His justice is in north fork!" "Why can't we just kill him?" "You kill the law?" "After me" "There'll be a posse, and after that the army." "Why can't you stay home?" "Why you must sneak out, bring back" "The law men from the valley on your trail?" "Ah, no posse will follow him." "Each day you grow wilder and" "Prouder, your hunger for blood and broken bones." "I will do better, ott, I promise you." "You said that before, but this time a brave man comes to" "Face us, braver perhaps than you or me." "I won't go with him, I won't!" "I wouldn't stand a chance down there." "There's no other way." "No, mccain, my people would lose faith in me if I were to" "Turn my brother over to a stranger." "There is an honorable" "Way to settle this." "You want him, he's yours." "I fight him." "And you?" "My rifle against his six-shooter?" "Ha!" "He's afraid." "He wouldn't have a chance, mr." "Droshek." "A target does not shoot back." "Bletch knows guns." "With your" "Rifle on that table, can you still draw against him?" "Any time." "No, ott." "It was you want this duel, a fair and honorable duel." "A trick rifle against my pistol, is that fair?" "Maybe it's the face to face that bothers you." "Can't I just take him out of town?" "And then he tries to escape," "Huh?" "And then, of course, you have to shoot him." "No, little" "Brother, this time we do it my way." "I promise you I'll see that he's safely put in jail, and has" "A fair trial." "If he's innocent he's got nothing to fear." "We have our own jail, you" "Will bring the witnesses here to testify, I will listen." "No, ott." "Don't you go against me, ott." "Or what?" "You threaten me too?" "You give me no choice!" "I thought you would stand up for your own brother." "No more, bletch." "Look, why can't I take him out?" "No more!" "You stand by yourself now." "Fine!" "Take him, treece." "Bletch?" "No, bletch, no!" "No, bletch." "Either way, he had to lose." "I'm sorry." "I'm about the most useless law man in the whole territory right" "Now, can't even pour my own coffee." "Well, micah, I always figure that if a town's got its jail" "Empty and its streets quiet at night, the law's well done." "Yeah, all it takes is a rabbit's foot" "And a passable deputy." "And there's one other thing." "What's that?" "A badge." "You better hang on to this, it's solid brass." "Well, thanks, lucas." "Say," "Mark, you are as quiet as snow in August." "What's on your mind?" "Well, nothing." "I just been wondering." "Wondering about what?" "Well, I've been wondering how you're gonna wash dishes with" "Only one hand when you get back home." "Well, it might not be so easy, as a matter of fact," "I might need a bit o' help." "Lucas, would you mind if I borrowed mark" "For a couple o' weeks?" "Oh, not at all, micah." "Oh!"