? that's him. don't let him get too far. ? put your hands up, and take your last breath.

? well, thanks. seems to me it's the other way around. i ought to be thanking you. they went to a lot of trouble to want to rob a man with less than $10 on 'im. they weren't out to rob you. they were out to kill me. through gallup? this morning. so did i. we're about the same size. they mistook you for me. help me cover 'em up from the buzzards. i'll mark the spot and telegraph latigo's family from the next town. latigo? the father, i had to kill his son three weeks ago. you see, i showed him a warrant for his arrest and he wanted to fight it out, i'm a marshall. you killed him?

murder, he killed a woman and a two-year-old baby in a hold-up. well, sure glad you came along, marshall, thanks. looks like a lucky meeting for both of us. ? a lawman spends a lot of time underneath the stars. yes, there's a thankless job. a little gratitude and the chance of getting gunned by any blowhard that thinks he can make a reputation killing you. how long you been at it? almost 10 years. ten years i've been tracking down thieves and murderers. it's a lonely job.

you know what happens when news gets back to their town? i got a pretty good idea. no, you haven't. you can figure on their families that's natural. what about the rest of the town? nobody remembers or wants to remember that those two men were out to kill me and that latigo's son killed a woman and a little baby. see, i'm alive; two of their own are dead. i've got no friends there. if you hate it so much why do you stay with it? well, every year i say to myself this will be the last, but, get a woman, get married, settle down, never happens. then you can't hate it too much. but you get hard, and harder. you get used to the killin' and the blood,

you were some kind of animal. what about you, what do you do? oh, nothin' special. i just kind of drift wherever the wind takes me. no tap roots? horse and a bedroll. it strikes me there ain't too much difference 'tween you and me. yeah, i guess we both spend a lot of nights under the stars. well, i'll see you in the morning. ? well, i'm goin' to south fork. which way is the wind takin' you? ? gettin' kind of tired of the country.

just give me a second, i wanna check this shoe. hold it! ? you took his head off clean. passable. i was aiming at his rattles. you got a sense of humor. i like that in a man. you know, we're lucky for each other. good thing you were here. only i wouldn't be here if you hadn't shown up yesterday. that's what i mean. you know, i didn't do a very good job of selling my profession last night, but i'm going after a man in south fork, bodie. i could use a deputy in case things got rough. it's a small reward and we could share it. that won't be necessary.

can use money. if you help we go 50-50. it's a deal. good. raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear to uphold the law to the best of your ability, so help you god? i do. all right, you're now a deputy marshall. i'll get you a badge as soon as we hit south fork.

well, here's your big city, south fork. bigger than a bedroll under a tree. they're all alike. i don't know who lays out these towns, but it must be done by somebody with no sense of humor. well, the firm is now in business.

you hear me? the old man seemed to know you. i got a kind of reputation around these parts. he'll spread the word that we're here. i like people to know we're in town. it's fixed. good. what's the matter, john? somebody else seems to know you. mm, if he doesn't, he will. that's the man we're after, john sevier. sevier is only small change. if things work out i can pick up warrants for some big ones i know

i gave you the dark side of the picture. there's also a bright side. you help the country get rid of some of its scum then the country shows its gratitude by rewarding you for it. if you look at it that way, it's a pretty noble profession. at it that way. well, here we are. there's a few other details to take care of, shouldn't take too long. what about sevier? won't he run? nah, i don't figure him to. these sheriffs sometimes get a little touchy about outsiders cutting into their territory.

word's gotten around already. you sheriff barnes? that's right. i'm frank moxon. i know, i've seen you before. my deputy, cheyenne bodie. hi, sheriff. bodie. i got a warrant for a man i'm told is living in south fork. this warrant's sort of old, isn't it moxon? murder warrants don't run out, sheriff. you know what i mean. this thing would have rotted away if you hadn't dug it up. no doubt about it. two hundred and fifty dollars reward, isn't that kind of small potatoes for you, moxon? a little here, a little there,

doesn't it bother you to take blood money? i earn it carrying out the law, just like you, sheriff. i wouldn't take that kind of money if i had to starve. this town don't need your kind of law, moxon. you don't understand me, sheriff. and i don't understand a man like you, who thinks he's a grandfather to a two-bit dump like this. you're supposed to keep the law in this town, yet when i come here looking for a murderer, u act like he's one of your family. you don't even know who i'm after, or do you, sheriff? who's the man? i'm looking for john westrum. i don't know anyone by that name. well, that was his name in abilene. he might have changed it. that doesn't help me any. i've heard he's taken up carpentry work, that help you, sheriff?

he killed the wrong man in a barroom brawl 10 years ago, but it was a fair fight. he was defending himself. then he can explain it in court. he's been here nine years. he married a good girl and he's got two kids. there isn't a person in this town who wouldn't go the limit for him. well, it's your job to see that they don't. sevier is my man, and you're bound by oath to uphold me. get this straight, i'll talk to sevier and try to get him to give himself up to you. and if he does some of us are going along to see that nothing happens. i don't quite understand that remark, sheriff. you've got a reputation, moxon. you've had too many prisoners jump you, or try and escape a few miles out of town. you've sat in a chair in this flea-bitten town for too long, sheriff. i'ma let that remark pass, this time.

? i'll talk to him. you wait here. anything you say, sheriff. we'll be on the hotel porch.

i wanna talk with you, john. ? this'll take time. i'm alone, let me in. ? come in. ? why don't you two go back where you belong? . they wait till there's a road between us and then they shoot their mouths off. don't pay 'em any mind. what do you think sevier will do? haven't given it any particular thought. suppose he decides to stand up and fight it out? save us a lot of trouble if he did. you're not taking him, moxon! you're both no good! let him alone! how much are they payin' you for him?

teousness and it's another story. the world's full of pious fools, cheyenne. remind me to telegraph latigo's family before we leave, i'm liable to forget it. sevier lives a couple of miles from town. he's sent for his wife he says he wants to talk things over with her. i guess you'll just have to wait. what if i don't. sevier figured you might say that. he told me to tell you to go in with your gun out because he'll have his out, waiting. well, in that case, i guess we better just wait till his wife gets here.

i'm going back to sevier. i say sevier's a fine man. that'll be $10 a day, payable in advance. kinda high rates, aren't they ? you don't have to take it if you don't like, mister. that's the price. that's a $20 gold piece. i know, keep the change. we'll have no trouble from him. you gettin' this room, how long you expect to be here? as long as it takes. i like to make myself comfortable when i travel. kind of expensive, isn't it. well, nothing's expensive when it comes to yourself. i guess not if you've got the money to pay for it. money's no problem in this business.

r it. get outta here, moxon! ? we don't want your kind around here. moxon, get outta town! get out! get out! ? looks like we got our work cut out for us. ? where are you going? downstairs.

i'd like something to eat. kitchen's closed. i'd like a sandwich, gus. sure, what kind? mm, ham will do. i'll have the same. we're particular who we serve around here. be with you in a second, haney. i told you i'd have the same, mister. cheyenne. caldwell. what's goin' on here? it's settled now. cheyenne's an old friend of mine, gus. ain't you heard what happened, paul? i just rode into town and heard it. what's that got to do with cheyenne? he came here with moxon. i don't believe it. and why not? moxon's a bounty hunter. he's an officer of the law tryin' to do a job. you should know that, caldwell. he's a leech who lives on the blood of the men he's killed, a murderer with a badge. he's over in the hotel. why don't you go over there

rt of a man, bodie. what's that supposed to mean. let me tell you about john sevier. everybody in south fork knows all about him. he wanted to go back and give himself up. we talked him out of that. you gave a man bad advice. the cards were all stacked against him. even in a fair fight you don't kill the brother of the man who runs the town, and throw yourself on the mercy of the court. i've only been here a couple of years. there isn't a person in this town that john hasn't helped at one time or another. he's a fine, decent man with a family. you can't take a man like that in, anymore than i could. there wasn't anything wrong with you, caldwell. you just weren't cut out for the job. you think you're cut out for this job? sevier hasn't had a gun in his hand since he ran away. you're gonna shoot it out with a man like that? what makes you think he won't give up? no man in his right mind would.

i've heard that twice since i've been in this town. that doesn't make it true. it's gotta be proved to me.

whoa, that's one of the men.

cheyenne... i sent that telegram to latigo's family. sevier's wife just went in the store. it shouldn't be too long then. i think i'll go in the saloon and get myself a beer. it doesn't seem to bother you any that he might take a notion to run off. when you been in this business as long as i have, you get a feeling about the man you're after. been hearing some nice things about him. run into paul caldwell, lives here now. seems to know you. caldwell? caldwell... a sheriff that got his badge taken away from him because he was drunk on the job. if caldwell talked about me, it wasn't flattering. no, i'm afraid it wasn't. well, i'm not interested in what a man like caldwell has to say. and i'll tell you about men like sevier, a man on the dodge can't afford to make enemies.

your badge impresses some people. i'll be in the saloon if there's any trouble. ? cheyenne told me you were settling down here. everything all right? good. ? i see the deputy's still on the porch. where's moxon? in the saloon, why? we're bringin' the horse around the back for sevier. do you think he'll run? that's up to sevier.

? we're bringin' a horse around to the back. i don't want to tell you what to do, but if you want to give yourself up, i've got three men ready to ride along with you. i'm still afraid. i've heard too many things about moxon. take the horse and run. it's the only way to be sure. when you find some other place we'll come to you. and what after that? we'll worry about it if we come to it. deputy's comin'. you two figure out what you wanna do? i'll go talk to him. sevier's talking with his wife now. we'll know pretty soon. barnes, give me a straight answer. is it true about moxon's

well, let's put it this way, i never heard of moxon bringing any man back alive. in other words, you got no proof. i believe what people tell me. no man's as black as he's painted. no man gets a reputation like moxon without reason. i saw him take a man in dodge once, and it was murder, moxon enjoyed it. remember who that man was? one of ringo's men. i don't know his name. ringo? a killer that brags about how many law men he's killed. the point is-- ray, i'd like to see you. what's up? sevier's trying to make up his mind whether to run or not.

ah, you gotta learn patience in this business, slow and easy. word gets ahead and your next job is half done for you when you get there. frank, i'll give it to you straight. i've been hearing things about you i don't like. i don't have to defend myself to any man. i'm an officer of the law doing a job, a dirty job that everybody else is afraid of doing. how long do you think i'd live if i waited to ask questions of some of the men i'm after, instead of shootin' em? you've got a law or you've haven't. you forget it for sevier, and then you gotta forget it for somebody else, a man isn't human that hasn't got it in him to give a little. i couldn't live like that. well, then i'm afraid i had you figured all wrong, my friend. i don't know what you figured but when i ride into a town i don't want people staring at me like i'm some kind of an animal. sevier's coming out, moxon. he's giving himself up to you.

when are you figurin' on leaving? i don't know, sometime tonight. i could use a good night's sleep under a roof. how about waitin' till morning? all right, deputy, don't worry, we'll see you get your sleep. lock up sevier in jail. we start in the morning. you'll be having company. it's a long ride to kansas, and some of the boys are going along to see that you get there. i've warned you against that kind of talk, barnes. you don't scare me, moxon. like it or not. you're a brave man. i could kill you before your gun cleared your holster, and you know it. yes, i know it. who are the men that are supposed to be riding with me? ford, johnson... and haney. you're forgetting about me, ray.

long if you wanna. have to supply his own whiskey. looks like he's got a secret supply. that tune's been played before. you'll have to do better than that, moxon. why should i? a sheriff who was tarred and feathered, and sent outta town. why don't you tell 'em why? what he said was true. i'll tell you what he didn't say. he was comin' through our town. two boys recognized him, made some remarks at him. they weren't 20 years old yet, moxon pistol whipped one of 'em. the other went to help him out; moxon killed him. you were the sheriff, caldwell. you were there. why didn't you do anything? why didn't you take me if you thought i was wrong in defending myself? because you didn't have the nerve, even with liquor. everybody knew he was yella.

kicked him out because some two-bit punk called him, and took his gun away from him. you never amounted to anything as a man or a sheriff. your own wife ran out on you. your own children want nothing to do with you. leave them out of this, moxon. you're a parasite that serves no purpose on this earth. what do you wanna live for? i'll be glad to oblige anybody else that has any ideas. i'm a law enforcement officer and i've come for john westrum, alias john sevier, charged with murder, and i'm taking him back, with no help from anybody. anybody that thinks different is obstructing an officer in the discharge of his duty, and must suffer the consequences. in short, i'll shoot any man down that stands in my way

that goes for you, barnes. i'm gonna get the affidavits for sevier's identification. make sure that barnes gets him to the calaboose. i'll see that nothing happens to him, marshall. you do that, deputy.

would you let me out please? ? you can stay as long as you like, mrs. sevier. i have to get back to my children. they don't know about this yet. what do you tell children? how do you explain it to them? i guess you just tell them the truth. the truth? would you like to hear the truth? i met john sevier nine years ago, and in all that time i've never known him to do or say an unkind thing to anyone. right now he's more upset over paul caldwell being killed

oh, it's true! and he's always been like that, doing things for people without ever being asked. never wanting money, or thanks, or anything. he built the church, and the school almost by himself because he thought that no man should be without religion or education. that's the kind of a man he is. that's the truth! ask anyone. ask anyone who knows him. i've heard these things about him. well, then how can you arrest him? for something that wasn't even his fault, that has long since been forgotten? if it's the reward maybe-- it isn't. well, what is it then?

i'm no judge or jury, mrs. sevier, but your husband killed a man and ran away. nobody ever forgets a murder. if it wasn't moxon it'd be someone else. maybe. you don't sound like a man who oughta be mixed up with somebody like moxon. up till yesterday i never heard of him. if that's so, you have no axe to grind. let my husband go. moxon's a scavenger, he's a dirty bounty killer. i can see your side, mrs. sevier, but the law is on his side. i'm not afraid of the law. i am afraid of moxon. i'll promise you one thing. if your husband doesn't get there alive, neither will i.

mrs. sevier. got a fine wife, sevier, let me compliment you. well, the magpies are still talking on the street. that means we'll have no trouble. you worry when they stop talking. i wouldn't know. i've seen it happen a dozen times. i think i'll go back to the hotel. you can hold things down here. that is, if you don't mind. no, i don't mind. something bothering you? we got to ride over 500 miles to kansas with a prisoner to collect $125 reward a piece. that's right. there's mighty little profit in that.

i've seen this happen before, too. ? wise men, bearing gifts. ? sevier is worth $250 to you, moxon. we've more than doubled that. ke it and leave town. without sevier? you know what we mean. there isn't one of us that would ever open up our mouths about it. five hundred dollars-- closer to $600. well, sheriff, this is a pretty serious business-- i've already told you, it doesn't go any further than this room. six hundred? i told you a man could make money in this business if he wanted to.

ten times this amount wouldn't bribe me. i earn my money. how do you live with yourself, moxon? i find it no trouble at all. you're a sick man, even sicker than i thought. moxon! ? if you ever say that again i'll kill you.

? think of your fellow man. ? ? lend him a helping hand. ? ? put a little love in your heart. ? ? take a good look around... ? ? ...and if you're lookin' down, ? ? put a little love in your heart. ? ?put a little love in your heart.? ? in your heart. ? and will have given ninety million dollars to help real people like these.

got a couple of sandwiches out here in the office. i'm not hungry.

yeah, i know. you don't believe me, do you? i judge a man by the company he keeps. well, that's understandable. you've got a lot of friends here in town. i've been a lucky man up till now. caldwell told me you thought about giving yourself up. i sweated out many a night worrying about someone comin' after me, but in the morning things had look different. can't figure how a man like you comes to kill anybody. i never meant to kill him. i was in a bar and this man came in, i'd never seen him before. for some reason or other he started on me, wanted to show off i guess. you know, jokes about how you look and what you're wearing, that kind of thing. well, at first i went along with it. then he started gettin' real nasty.

it me, i tried fightin' back. i couldn't stand up to him. he knocked me down a couple of times and came at me with his boots. someone in the crowd threw me a gun. i fired. then they pushed me out the back door and told me to run. said the man i'd shot was the brother of rod mckeever, the man who practically owns abilene. here i am. i've heard of mckeever. he's a cheap crook that lasted a few years before the people run him out. got killed about five years ago in a street fight. none of the mckeever bunch were any good; everybody knew it. chances are 10 to one that a jury would've thrown your case right outta court. you shoulda gone back. i shoulda. now, i don't know if i can get back.

?

what is this? we're hanging you, you and your deputy. let's go. ? you're an officer of the law, barnes. do you know what you're doing? you're wrong, moxon. i'm just a plain ordinary citizen. i've given up my badge and resigned. how does it feel having the shoe on the other foot? ? hold it. keep him here while i go for his deputy. when you see me come out bring moxon up. take some of us with you and play it safe, ray. i can handle this best alone. we've got a rope just waitin' for you two. the chief marshall knows i was coming after sevier.

no one in this town. somebody'll talk! you can't keep a thing like this locked up. maybe, but if one man talks there'll be 100 to deny it, and no one's comin' after you, moxon. you haven't got a friend in the world. ? turn around! ? it's barnes! open up, bodie. ? looks like we're gonna have trouble out here. we'll need your help. ? get your hands up, bodie. ?

? tie 'em up! ? drop it! anybody starts anything takes both of us. untie him. i'll take that gun. ? let him loose. don't be a fool, sevier. i hope i'm not being one. you've all made a mistake about bodie. he's all right. i'm goin' back with him to stand trial. you don't know what you're doin', john. you'll never get there alive. i'll take that chance. what about moxon?

you're only hurtin' yourself, sevier. you can clear yourself of the other charge. moxon's not comin' back anyway. he's turnin' in his badge as soon as we take you in quittin', told me so himself. isn't that right? that's right. you got a wife and children to think about. nothin's gonna happen to you. i give you my word on that. ? i'll take your word. ? i usually get more of an audience when i leave a town. i got a feeling you're not gonna be missed.

what are we stoppin' here for? your friend, bodie, said it himself. there's no profit in transporting a man 500 miles to collect a measly $250 reward. ? you remember this place? yeah, i remember it. this is where you started as deputy; this is where you'll end as deputy. i'll take that badge. you said-- i said that as long as i wore this badge i'd see that you got there alive. you'll have to take it from me. it'll be a pleasure. step aside, sevier. get movin' or i'll give it to you now.

? you can still do like i said last night, quit and let me take sevier in. you know, cheyenne, the trouble with you is that you're as much of a grandfather as barnes is, even more. ? me quit? that'll be the day. yes sir, a real grandfather.

we'll bury him and go on to kansas. ? we'll send a telegram when we get to the next town. you mean moxon had a family? your wife, we'll let her know that everything's all right, and we're on our way to abilene.

why, you... you scared me. ople in these hills. i figured that i'm the only one. look, why don't you come over by the fire? it's a cold and rainy night. be down near freezing before dawn. there's hot coffee. i been prospecting, see, up and down these creeks for, oh, six months.