i guess not. where's the stagecoach office? that the stage for santa inez? rocklin. mind if i ride alongside the driver? i like grumpy old cusses -- hope to live long enough to be one. -- and a passenger. mind if i ride up here? i'll say that. i never feel sorry for anything that happens to a woman. every word of it. maybe i seen more of 'em than most. all the same -- what? not just yet. who? like me to speel you a while? who're them as say you are? what's wrong? what's wrong with law and order? buenas noches, amigo. tuvimos suerte en haber llegado. reckon so. has he? frequently. how about the owner of that beef -- mightn't he have somethin' to say about it? red caldwell -- he's the owner of the k.c., ain't he? he's outside tryin' to explain away a hide. seems we're eatin' stolen beef. i'll lend a hand. how are things standin' now between you an' the law? good thing you saved it. how is he? i'm drivin'. don't. did they do it? his friends, eh? bumped his head. where's the best chance of a cheap room? i'll pick that up later. nope. here -- catch aholt. bumped his head. okay. you can book me a room, too. don't mind if i do. i didn't. they string 'em up for that where i come from. i didn't give it. deal. one. don't you know that queen is dead? sure -- if you want -- but you'll have to beat my hand with four cards. no. i'm raising. dig. no good. kings up. your third queen is dead. i've come for my money. by the way, judge -- the name is rocklin. how you feelin'? how's your head? what do you want? that all you came to say? what about? i'll be down. yes. are you crazy? or just ignorant? whiskey! don't i? why d'you think i need this? try another trick like that on me and it'll be worse. where'll i find judge garvey? he will this morning. see you later, old-timer. i understand you were red caldwell's lawyer? know anything about this? foreman. why not? good foremen don't grow on bushes. what other motive could i have? off? well -- what do you mean -- claims to have? -- you saw it, didn't you? listen, lady -- i'd rather walk for somebody else, than ride for you. all i come for this morning was to pay beck the hundred and fifty red caldwell sent in advance. the railway fare -- well, i reckon we can check that up against the time lost and call it quits. rocklin, miss. that's how i'd prefer it, if you don't mind, miss -- never did care fer owing favors to no one -- especially women. i already met miss harolday. what, again? what for? hmmm -- that's a foreman's wages. lead the way. does he always follow you? oh -- just an old indian friend. poker. it's your suggestion, not mine. if you've changed your mind. enough for red caldwell to hire me as foreman. yeah -- but i won't ride for the new owners -- so that leaves me open. no -- i guess he just heard about me. tell him i'll be out in the street in front of the saloon. draw a gun and i'll kill you. i just laid a gun barrel over the head of a drunk friend of yours -- same as you did over dave's here yesterday. you're a liar! yes, ma'am. as hard as i could. -- now what was that you were sayin' about caldwell? fight? who? you mean, he quit on him? got any ideas? say -- it don't sound as if it's goin' to be too easy for them wimmen at the k.c. no, sir. and i ain't jumping at this offer o' yours either because i don't hold with working for wimmen. -- i like workin' that way. i'm riding for the topaz ranch. good money -- sixty a month be right with you. reckon it is pretty nice. so you're moving in on the "k.c." eh? sorry if i butted in, ma'am. jest passing the time o'day. nope. how far is the line-camp at table- top? i'm moving out there first thing in the morning. boss' orders. care to show me the way? senor romerez, it appears that you do not like me. why? no funnier than you sloggin' through it, just to deliver a letter from a woman. thought i'd wait till mornin' -- might be bad news an' i wouldn't be able to sleep. i am desperately in need of help and advice from someone whom i feel i can trust, and i am appealing to you, because i regard you in the same way my uncle surely must have. i heartily dislike and distrust judge garvey -- but my aunt seems to have suddenly revised her opinion of him, and now wants me to place all my affairs in the judge's hands and return east. such is certainly not my wish. i wanted so much to give ranch life a trial, but fear circumstances are against me, especially in view of the recent indian trouble -- you want to hear the rest of this? i want to apologize for what took place this afternoon. and i am returning the 150, because i feel it is rightfully yours. you must take it. faithfully yours, clara caldwell. somebody's sure bustin' to get her out of there. wonder why the old lady's playin' along? too nice for this country. don't know how i could help her -- even if i wanted to -- i don't know any thing about this garvey -- or caldwell -- or -- you must have known him pretty well -- what kind of a man was he? was the judge and red friends? red was a gambler, eh? anything ever happen to make you think they weren't? think you can trust me? marked cards. whose was it? that's when they got him. how come you never told this before? how about what's his name -- harolday? -- he's no friend of the judge's, is he? even if it was garvey red was talkin' about -- it don't follow that he killed him. why would rustlers take the evidence caldwell had with him? funny tho' -- first the k.c. foreman -- then caldwell -- an' now these women. i'm not so sure somebody hasn't tried already -- remember, when we stopped to change horses on the way over from garden city -- yeah. like they wanted to be sure he'd keep his mouth shut about something. it was almost as if -- you all right? lookit that -- come on -- that's not your team. no use -- he's gone. not bad shootin'. sure -- to draw us away from here. you know, you cut it mighty close -- good thing i ain't got brains enough to fill it. too bad you had to come 'way up here through that storm for nothin'. oh -- i see. mind if i wait for dave? he ought to be along any minute -- be funny if he winged that shadow of yours. you came up alone? then who was that we took out after? who was he? you mean you won't tell. i guess you forgot -- you jes' fired me. so long. you guess -- come on. you work for harolday? here's one of his horses -- i'll pick up my saddle later. howdy. that's right. well, this, for one thing. i been figgerin'. don't seem reasonable clews was in condition to take that sort of chance alone. besides -- how could he have known i was up there -- that soon. and -- george clews ain't the only one i've run contrariwise to in this town. there's that mexican, for instance. he as good as told me yesterday that him and me was due for a run-in one of those days. and then there's him! was what? all right. i believe you. but that don't mean you couldn't tell a thing or two as would help -- if you wanted. this for one. ever seen it before? just got in. you got trouble, eh? you haven't signed everything over to that garvey, have you? got anything to prove you're not underage? s'pose we could get it? wait here. that's right. that's right -- the one miss caldwell's aunt wrote from out east sayin' she was of age. remember? my only interest is getting' it. open up. i'd like to make up my own mind about that. these cards -- depends on what kind they are -- 'specially when they're under lock and key. that's right. you're the one who better start lookin' -- lookin' for a way out for killin' red caldwell. he found out about these -- and you went and killed him. i will until i hear a better one. i'll just take this along -- the district judge at garden city should be mighty interested. no -- but get hold of clint harolday. can't say for sure -- bring him to the sun-up, and don't take no for an answer. no -- but i don't think it's gonna matter much -- you go on back to the k.c. and i'll be out in the mornin' and take you with me to garden city to see the district judge. no trouble at all -- i'm going anyway. what are you doin' here? what about, you an' me? just a minute -- what all has she been tellin' you? deny what? well -- why should i deny it?. make love to you -- did you expect me to deny that, too? now, maybe you ought to hear what i've got to say -- you little -- if there wasn't a lady here, i'd do more to you than swear. you might's well know right now that you or no woman is ever goin' to get me. don't you? i know there ain't a dirty trick you wouldn't play to get what you want. come in -- sit down, clint. how about goin' down below an' havin' one on me? it ain't gonna do you any good to get all het up and tough, kid -- i just want to ask you a few questions -- that's all. forget it -- that's not what i want to talk to you about, anyway. clint -- i want you to tell me why garvey murdered red caldwell -- you know -- don't you? oh yes you do. and you're going to tell me all about it. talk! talk! just a minute, now -- i know it looks bad -- but i didn't kill the kid. no it wasn't -- it was right in my hand -- like it is now. i don't know -- but i'm going to find out. i didn't do it, mr. harolday. he's right. yeah -- but that still don't say i killed him. i didn't. that's right. clint and me was having a bit of an argument. about whether he was going to help clear up a few things that's been bothering me and some others 'round these parts. for instance -- who it was shot red caldwell. and the k.c. foreman. and who took that shot at me up at table-top last night. and why certain people are so anxious to get rid of the caldwell girl. well -- clint was getting' all set to talk, when -- somebody snuck up along the verandah there and pulled the gun out o' my belt. . and let him have it. self-defense? no, that wasn't it. and till i do what i got to do, i ain't surrenderin' to anybody -- least of all to your pal here. if i got to be shot for knowing too much, it ain't going to be in the back, in a framed-up jail-break. guess they wanted to get clint, too. doin' it this way they get us both. clint first -- an' me afterwards -- like i jus' said. i might be able to tell you that later. am i? the first one that moves -- gets it. headin' for the k.c. you can ease up now. get in here and take care of her. the clews are around here some place -- garvey sent 'em out. that belongs to the man who shot at me on table-top -- dave found it. where's the girl? we've got to get her. come on -- anything you like. you better get back on the bed -- in case they come in here. if there's anybody else in on it -- speak up, judge. talk. ever see that before? tell me whose it is. you seem to like to do business through windows, mr. harolday. you're not clint's killer, by any chance -- well, now we're gettin' some place -- why did you kill caldwell? why did he kill clint? an' not me? when he wakes up -- we'll have him put everything on paper. i guess there's no rush for you to get to garden city, now -- that means you're goin' back east -- cousin clara? it's good to know where you belong, i reckon -- wish i knew. thanks. everything. it didn't start out so beautiful. fer instance?