a little hot.
rate you're goin', we'll be here until winter.
you're too old to watch such goin's on.
that's right.
don't you ever run down?
you stick to your blacksmithin' and let me take care of steve.
we'll both take a look. anything's better than listenin' to sam. don't forget to shoe the mule.
who are they?
hello graham -- joe -- mr. gardner.
forster never did anyone any harm. but what's that got to do with me? i came into town from the south.
i still don't see.
maybe he did.
i've got eleven horses to get over the mountains before snow catches me and covers the feed.
like you said, maybe he knows where my ranch is. if he does, he'll be waiting on the porch.
thanks.
a man i used to know.
shells. how much for six boxes?
like what?
i don't want to run short.
no call to. that jail looked pretty solid to me. how's she feel?
one he's got, more his size.
the thing to do is stick to rabbits.
you sure worry that bone. he killed a fellow.
the other fellow wasn't even lookin'.
i may as well buy it for him. otherwise he'll be crying all the way over the hill.
yes.
maybe at the ranch. maybe sooner than that.
all right. i'll tell you.
let's say this is the penitentiary.
here's alder crick.
and here we are in aspen.
that's sonora.
motioning) lednov gets out of jail and comes along here to alder crick. then goes along here toward the sonora road.
that's lednov! we come along here.
unless the sheriff gets too close and he holes up.
so let's go.
yeah -- and lednov's only lookin' for one man. me.
he doesn't like me. what you eatin'?
things get tough next winter, you'll have somethin' to wear.
anybody hurt?
what's the matter with her?
this must have been in the family a long time.
i'm clay phillips. my brother steve.
yes, ma'am.
just about.
i've got eleven horses.
did you ever try taking a bunch of horses over sonora pass? it's quite a job.
course i can't. i'll give you a lift to the first ranch.
you can stay here if you like.
i'm not running a stage line, ma'am, and i can't take a chance on losing the horses.
when you're old enough to smoke, i'll tell you. get the horses started on ahead, will you, steve?
let's get your stuff in the wagon. like i said, i'll take you to the first ranch. i wish i could carry you all the way, but i can't. it's a tough trip and women would be in the way.
you'll have to drive -- except down hill.
what's the matter with her?
it wouldn't happen to be this.
this must have been in the family a long time.
i'm clay phillips. my brother steve.
stretch out under the seat, miss.
how's that?
it's a nice place owned by an old couple named wyatt.
so both of you stop worrying.
there's a place down a ways, where you and the girls can wash some of that dust off.
steve and me, we use a saddle for a pillow and roll up in a tarp.
mostly, we open a can of beans and boil some coffee.
in the grub box. toward morning the dew gets kind of heavy so maybe you better fix up a bed under the wagon. spread some bunch grass under the tarp and the ground won't be so hard.
swimming.
when you get the team watered, rustle up some wood.
get your rifle.
hold it.
drop your gun.
then don't come sneakin' around a man's camp.
so did i. they were in it.
i'm glad you came along. my brother, steve. i'm phillips.
i gave the girls a lift. didn't know what else to do with them. get your horse and come on.
here's a man says he's looking for you girls.
of course it'll work. you can get another girl to fill out the act.
suppose they don't. this is his problem. he's over twenty-one. he wants to marry marcia and marcia wants to marry him so let 'em alone.
i'm not in his shoes, so leave me out of it.
steve maybe you better get some wood for the fire.
go on, there's a good boy.
i'm sorry. i can't do that. i went a long way to get those horses.
time to go to bed, steve.
yeah.
he doesn't know his letters, no -- but he knows the names of animals.  he knows what roots to eat when you're clear out of food.  he knows the difference between a possum and a coon just by lookin' at the tracks.  more than most trappers know.  and he can tell whether she'll rain or shine tomorrow by smelling the air tonight. there's a lot of things he doesn't know, i hope he'll never learn.
like sticking his nose into other people's business.
what would she run off for?
stay here. one woman wanderin' off's enough.
build the fire up and stick close to it. come on, steve.
look around. she can't have gone far.
who shot who?
i wouldn't know. did you ask her?
look of things, she doesn't.
how'd you happen to miss?
good thing you didn't.
that's right, steve.
sure. you'll find it under the wagon seat. like i said before, a twenty- two's more your size.
oh, steve!
get back to the horses. they're straggling.
yeah. while the horses wander all over the country.
do like i said.
are the horses stragglin' or aren't they?
his letters will keep.
steve -- i want you to learn to read. i meant to teach you but i never seemed to find time. i figured when we got settled on the ranch we'd get around to it.
it's all right with me if she teaches you, but i don't want you forgettin' your job.
this isn't like other trips we've taken. for one thing, we've got a wagonload of women. for another there's a guy wanderin' around hopin' to put a bullet in my back.
i guess i have. you were pretty little when they locked him up. i don't suppose you even remember that time i was gone two months.
you remember jeff rawson? -- we used to go fishing and hunting with him when you were so high.
that's what i told you then. only he didn't. lednov killed him.
i caught up with lednov in nogales. he didn't like the idea of comin' back across the border but he came. i turned him over to the sheriff and -- that's the story.
maybe i should. but i was never much on killin'. anyway, he moved too quick and i just got him through the shoulder. looks pretty peaceful up ahead.
but you never can tell. why don't you get that new rifle out of the wagon?
and while you're there you might as well find out what comes after k.
yes, ma'am, she should.
but the nearest shelter's the wyatt ranch and that's maybe five hours away.
no, ma'am, we can't. we can get a roof and a fire and maybe mrs. wyatt knows something about taking care of sick people.
only a little ways now -- maybe a mile.
how's she makin' out?
steve --
mr. wyatt.
clay phillips.
three men on matched roans?
the whole state's lookin' for 'em. and they're lookin' for me.
maybe you won't feel that way after i tell you what i stopped in for.
i picked up some women on the road.
but i'm going to have to leave 'em here. they're --- well they're not the sort of people you're used to.
and one of 'em is sick.
didn't you know she had a father and mother out here?
hold on.
it's a long walk back to aspen.
i'm sorry about this, mr. wyatt. i didn't know who she was.
i can't take her with me.
you're not bein' quite fair.
i'm sorry about this, mr. wyatt. i didn't know you had a daughter.
i can't take her with me.
you're not bein' quite fair.
this will be your room until mr. wyatt finds time to take you to the nearest stage station.
coffee?
i hope so, too.
if you're figuring on asking me to take you, it's no use.
i'm sorry, but that's how it's got to be.
and it's not only because the trip's a tough one --
i couldn't leave you sitting by the road.
thanks.
the who?
go on. tell me more about her.
i'll make the soap myself.
will she be dark or fair?
well, i'm off --
what's the matter?
i can't --
no they won't.
that's fine.
finished, son?
i'll round up the horses. throw that junk in the wagon.
don't go arguing with your teacher.
there's a lot of things i don't see any sense to. but make up your mind. learn to read or -- -- go back and watch the horses.
we're staying here until dark. pull over to the woods. you put hobbles on the horses -- all of 'em. get goin'.
it's too light yet.
better go on back and get some more sleep. you'll need it later on.
no, i'm not. all i want 'em to do is keep ahead of us -- a long way ahead. so i'm riding up the line aways to pick us out a new trail.
not on this trail, i don't. i've been over it before. anyway, you ought to be pretty sleepy. why don't you climb in back.
did you ever care where you were goin' or where you'd been?
why do you think?
oh, it did. it had a great deal to do with you.
you know so much about me -- figure it out.
you wouldn't do a thing like that, would you?
that's the west walker. take it easy now.
followin' it. any reason i shouldn't?
clay phillips of aspen. been havin' trouble?
neither do we. that's why we took this trail instead of the main road, and drove all night.
just the grub box and bed rolls.
when you get older you'll understand things better. like women and men. just because a man kisses a woman, doesn't always mean -- well, he can kiss her and not want to -- have her around all the time.
we got a lot to do, you and i. gettin' that ranch started and everything. we've been getting along fine, all these years. for a while i want to keep it the way it is.
take that in and help her get breakfast, will you?
maybe it's better that way.
what?
what did you expect? speeches i don't mean?
if it's pretty speeches you want, you won't be hearing them. even when i mean 'em, they don't come easy.
all right -- it's said!
she's aimin' at me, but her aim's bad. want to know why i changed my mind about bringing you? because i talked to elaine -- because i was afraid to leave you with decent people, that's why. and you'll open your joint all right. you wouldn't fit anywhere else.
let's round up the horses.
come on -- we don't want to keep the people in sonora waiting.
mary --
are you all right?
i suppose that's my fault.
that's right -- worry about your clothes --
what about my wagon. of all the crazy fool things to do. you lose a man's wagon because you're stupid and then yell about your clothes.
there won't be any rest of the trip. over the hill is a stage road and when we hit it you get dumped into the first stage that comes along. so keep your money. you'll need it for the fare. i'm fed up with you. i was fed up with you before we started.
don't just stand there. go on back and get the packs on the horses. we've lost all the time we're going to because of a woman.
come on. didn't you hear me?
so am i and so are the horses.
take the packs off. and run the horses into the corral.
i said take the packs off.
i figure we'll make better time, letting the horses rest for a spell.
so grab yourself some sleep while you have the chance.
like i said, i was thinkin' of the horses.
if you want 'em to find us, why don't you go up on the hill and wave your shirt or fire your rifle.
you better start.
all right, i hurt your feelings. but you know better than to go lightin' fires.
maybe you're not hungry, but i am.
come on. we got a couple hours to eat and get some sleep.
kind of feeling your oats this morning. i haven't laid a hand on you for quite a while, but that doesn't mean you're too old.
sit down and eat. till i say the word, you're doing what you're told.
you keep your nose out of my life, young fella.
i said keep your nose out of my life. no kid is going to tell me how to run it.
shut up and eat.
i'm sorry.
it's going to sonora.
i said a lot of things -- some of 'em --
i can't help how i think. you're trained a certain way when you're a kid and you can't change.
if you're gonna catch this stage, come on.
hurry up.
maybe they will.
mind giving a lady a lift into town?
will you be seeing the sheriff?
goodbye, mary.
i don't care what she asked you.
you want to split up? --
-- why wait? go on, saddle up now and beat it.
you'll get your share. go on. i don't want you around.
there you are.
what did you come back for?
is that the only reason you came back?
i just wondered. let's go.
stick here.
come on out.
how's that?
you'll live.
yeah -- but don't make a habit of it.
i guess so -- but don't make a habit of it.
thanks for taking over.
like i said, women get in the way sometimes.
where you going?
mary.
that job you were talkin' about, did you get it yet?
because.  well, you said you wanted a man to think enough of you to walk in the place you were working and take you out of there.  tonight i was sort of tied up with steve.  but tomorrow i figured on doing just that.
is there any place in town a man could buy some gingham?