don't move. i can't do much movin'. well, just don't move any. what'd you shoot me for? me? i didn't shoot ya. i just rode down the trail and found you lyin' there not movin'. well, i thought you were dead.

you don't need that gun, ma'am. i'm not armed. well, i guess not. why were you chasin' the man? he's a killer. robbed the wells fargo in lasso. you a lawman? i was deputized. well, where's your badge? looks like he took that, too. how bad are you hurt? i don't know. shot in the back. shotgun blast. too weak to ride very far, even if i can get on-- even if i can get on a horse. well, i can't help you. my sister and i are all alone. her husband's away.

lways does what he says. well, i can't leave you to die. that isn't right. say, i know. it'll be night soon and i can hide you in the barn. rose never goes out there, the barn chores are mine. i'll be much obliged. looks like a snow's gonna set in before morning. i'll...i'll get your horse. bodie, cheyenne bodie. well, that's a funny name.

lilac! ? lilac, where are you? ? how do you feel? much better. looks like i slept through the snow. yeah, it snowed all night. i brought you a sandwich last night, but you were sleepin' so sound i didn't have the heart to wake you. i did put some more blankets over you, though. well, thanks. i hope the snow doesn't cut off the pass before granger gets home. granger? rose's husband.

ss allen, you're the nearest thing to an angel i've met. when i smelled that food, i was hopin' it was for me. i had a terrible time gettin' it out of the house. well, i'm glad you made it. didn't realize how hungry i was. oh, that's for your back. can you manage all right? sure. i'm not that helpless, i can feed myself. lilac! i'm in the barn. bring some wood in when you come back. all right. that's my sister. fine-lookin' woman. rose is very pretty. do you think she's prettier-- do i think what? oh, nothin'. i was just gonna ask a silly question. do i think she's prettier than you are, is that the question? well, she is.

t do much good to dress me up in nice clothes, i... claimed i still looked like a ragamuffin. i guess i did. i don't know what kind of a little girl you were, maybe you were a ragamuffin, but you're grown up now. you don't need nice clothes to make you look good, you just naturally do. you know, it's funny. back home in missouri, we used to make snowballs and throw 'em at things, but... snow. it just doesn't hold together. country's higher here, the snow is dry. say, do you think you can leave that until later? i think maybe we better have a look at that back. it might be a good idea. oh here, let me help you. this...brother-in-law of yours, what kind of work's he in? oh, granger? oh, he's a judge.

he covers the whole territory. granger ward? what, do you know him? i've heard of him. heard he's a mighty hard man to stand up before. well, he hates criminals. you don't have to worry about me. he and i are on the same side. it's funny, though, i never heard that he had a family. well, he doesn't talk about us outside. he's afraid that somebody might try and get back at him through us. well, i guess that's pretty smart thinkin' at that. ? i'm not such a ninny as you think, lilac. ? he's been shot, rose, and he needs help. who is he? mr. bodie. he was with a posse chasing a man and he was ambushed and left for dead. who was he chasing? the black jack, ma'am. i've heard of him. but i haven't heard of you. do you have any identification? no, i don't.

i'm not an ogre. of course he must be helped. granger should be here today or tomorrow. he'll know what to do with him. until my husband gets here, mr. bodie, you're my prisoner. yes, ma'am. in the meantime, we'd better move him to the house to look at your wound. we don't want you to catch cold. out that door. ? get me some hot water, towels, and a knife. ? fire looks good. set before it then. ? you may remove your shirt.

this should have been dressed before now. if you had let me know about this-- how was i to know what you'd do? granger said no strangers on the place. you want me to do that? i'll be better at it. light the candle. it's not as bad as i thought, you've bled most of the shot out. but there's still a few there. is bound to hurt some. why don't you tell us about the manhunt and what happened? well, there's this fella they... call the black jack 'cause he always wears black. he's got the name jack embroidered on the kerchief he wears over his face. i think that's all. someone's coming.

? what is this? he claims he was part of a posse chasing the black jack, that they were picked off one by one. he was ambushed and robbed of everything, including guns and identification. he did leave my horse. a horse is not easy for a stranger to catch. i guess he figured it wasn't worth it. well, why was a posse chasing black jack and who was on it? he robbed the wells fargo office in lasso. posse was three men-- sheriff tom smith, tony perenchio, and myself, cheyenne bodie. how many killed, wounded? two killed in town, sheriff later. perenchio was wounded. you get a look at the black jack? i saw him as he rode out of town.

fat, slim? well, he was tall, well built. like yourself? well, like a lot of men. even you, sir. well, bodie, i'm a judge, and therefore i'm more interested in facts than in guesswork, and looking at the facts that you present, your case doesn't look very favorable. you say you're a deputy and yet you've got no proof of anything, not even your own identity. you admit a man with your own physical characteristics staged a robbery and is on the run. you can't prove you're not that man. you're shot in the back. seems a more likely place to shoot a man running away from you than one chasing you. well, before we go on, will you clear something up for me? i'll listen to you. well, you got a name for bein' a hard judge. there's folks that say that you've got your mind made up before a trial even starts, is that true? that is pure nonsense bred by those who have been subject to my rigid impartiality. i know your story is true in part,

hit the stage office. two towners were killed and smith, perenchio, and bodie went out after him. none had returned while i was still there. not even perenchio? not even perenchio. should have been back by dark. so you see, i have no more reason to believe that you're bodie than i have to suspect you of being black jack. well, i can give you one. you won my case for me by bein' in lasso last night. how so? well, black jack shot into the crowd and rode away. he wouldn't have any way of knowing who he hit, would he? i should think not. i don't know her first name, but... and the other? it was a man by the name of brian moore. well, let's say, mr. bodie, at least you've earned a reprieve. what did i tell you about allowing strangers in the house? he needed help and he seemed harmless. still the champion of every stray dog and cat.

you'll forgive our lack of dignity, mr. bodie. this is more or less the nature of a homecoming ritual. home is the only place where i can behave like a normal being. well, it's nice to see people in love. do you have a family, bodie? -no, sir, i don't. -oh, that's too bad. every man should have a family at christmastime. ngs, the paths will be all snowed in before you're well enough to ride out, so this year, i'll share my family with you. that's very nice of you, sir. i better get my horse unsaddled. i'll go with you. okay, but no peeking at the presents now. why did you ride into lasso last night? you were in carson city, which is 20 miles nearer home. oh, when i heard they were in trouble, i figured i could help out. judge is a fine man when you get to know him, isn't he?

don't ask me why. he's perfect, respectable, he treats my sister like a queen, and i hate him. i don't know why, there isn't any reason. ? let me take that for you. i can manage nicely, thank you. well, it's kind of heavy for a lady. i've been doing it for a good many years at least i can open the door for you. mr. bodie, i'd appreciate it highly if you would cease making advances toward me. if i-- i don't appreciate it. in fact, i find it somewhat annoying. mrs. ward? opening a door for a lady has never been considered to be making advances, at least no place i've been. it's a beginning, mr. bodie. you carry my wood, open my door, and a familiarity has been established.

i'm very much in love with my husband, and the attention of other men doesn't flatter me at all. then in the future i'll make it a point to pay you as little mind as possible. i'd appreciate it. in fact, i wish you wouldn't speak to me at all, except in the presence of my husband. yes, ma'am. now you've learned. she can be mean when she wants to, can't she? mean? oh, folks always think of her as bein' made of honey and sugar candy. that's 'cause they can only see what's outside. inside, she can be mean as sin. hello.

as far as we're concerned. how long do you think we'll be cut off? oh, not long, usually. lilac, there's a christmas tree out back. why don't trot it in, get it set up? i gotta prepare this rabbit. air smells good, doesn't it? sure does. high and dry. this spread's gonna be worth a lot of money some day, as soon as i get it stocked proper. how do you plan to stock it? the best--best crossbred cattle from europe, locally. kentucky horses, arabians. that's gonna cost you a lot of money. i have a wealthy relative who's scheduled to die soon. i notice that you were talking to the women when i came up. yes. i offered to open the door for your wife and she accused me of making advances. i'm afraid she misunderstood my intentions. my rose is like that.

e amount of men that she's met that didn't behave like schoolboys around her. what did lilac have to say? well, that was of a personal nature. nothing on my ranch, mr. bodie, is held confidential from me. well, then you'll have to ask her. ? the girls have some popcorn to decorate the tree. over in the breaks yonder, there's some shrubs with berries. they're not cranberries, but they'll do. i was planning on picking them. would you like to do it? i'd be glad to. ? i, uh, see you use a shotgun. yes. i find it effective for small game.

rrrrr mr. bodie, would you like an eggnog? well, thanks. ? say, that's good. you make it? oh no, rose did. she makes it much better. it's very good, ma'am. thank you. all together, call we commence? rose, as lady of the house, i suggest that you start the ceremony. all right. mr. bodie, i don't suppose you've noticed, but i've hung up mistletoe all around. matter of fact, we're standin' under some right now. well, yes, you sure have, haven't you? you do know what it's for, don't ya? lilac, i declare! well, do ya? yes, ma'am.

? grange. grange? to my husband. well, now what do we have here? just the thing for holding court. taken months to do. she's been at it a long time. to my sister. oh! oh no! don't tell me you made one for me, too? -o honey, but mine-- -isn't that something? -mine isn't as pretty as this. -oh, let's see! oh, come on, let me see it. which one is it? what color is it? now don't tell me. i want to find out for myself. oh, what do you mean? it's lovelier than mine.

oh, thank you, sweetheart. you know what we can do? we could trade off and on and have two shawls apiece. wonderful. oh! best wishes. thank you. i made it from the last deer skins we had. they're for wearing inside, not out. oh, i needed these, too. these old floors can get awful cold at night. well, now it's my turn. no, no, not yet. best wishes, mr. bodie. -oh, i didn't ex-- -oh, it isn't anything. it's just chinese money. it was a decoration on my mother's old sewing box. well, it's even got chinese writing on it. i remember that old sewing basket. lands, that was years ago. oh, i know it isn't worth anything but, well, i've always liked it and i didn't know what else. important thing is that you thought of me. thanks.

yes, granger. season's greetings, mrs. ward. it's lovely. oh, thank you! lilac, isn't it beautiful! yes, it's lovely, rose. and now for our little sister. it's a dream! thank you, granger. well, hold it up to you and let's see how it looks. oh, it's just a dream. that shawl you made will go well with those shoulders. oh, i remembered you, too, bodie. your holiday is not going to be as bleak as you might have expected.

this is bad country for a man to go unarmed here. ? oh, it's loaded all right. a gun without ammunition isn't worth much. ? where'd you get this gun? where? does it matter? after all, it is a gift. i wanna know where you got it. i bought it from a man i met on the trail. i don't understand your attitude, bodie. this gun was taken off of me after i was shot. ? are you sure? positive. well now, what an odd thing. ? there i was, face to face with one of the most wanted men in the land and i... i traded with him like a common peddler. ? funny he didn't rob and kill you. yes, it is strange. another strange thing, he's the one that told me about the trouble in lasso. ? well, now i'll know him when i see him again. ?

-here, let me-- -lilac. ? i, um, i think it's high time you stopped wearing men's clothing. after all, you're 20 years old. bought you a nice dress, why don't you at least try it on? come on. i'll help you with it. ? i'll be sayin' good night to you folks. thanks for everything. ? merry christmas, bodie. well, what's the matter with him? it's perfectly obvious, i should think--even to you. it's disgraceful the way you're throwing yourself at that man. haven't you any shame? why shouldn't i throw myself at him? he's nice and handsome, and i'm lonely. i've been lonely ever since i can remember. you have a man, you can afford to be smug and righteous. but i'm lonely.

oh, who cares how i behave? and speaking of being ladylike, i saw you tellin' him to leave you alone when he was only being polite, and i know why. you're afraid. you're afraid. you told him that because you're afraid that he was goin' to leave you alone.

o can keep track of that wild indian? mr. bodie, as you know, i'm a very outspoken woman. so i've noticed. i'm also the first to realize my own mistakes, and i was mistaken about you. i'd like to apologize. no apology needed. i've never met a man who's treated me with such great respect. it's almost as though you're unaware that i'm a woman at all. bodie? want some brandy in that coffee? uh, no thanks, judge, i like the taste of the coffee better. come over here and join me.

an interesting thought has just occurred to me. ever hear of yancy filmore? he was a gunfighter. that's him. met him once. well, his gunfightin' days are over. barring some unforeseen mistake, i've ordered him to be hanged at daybreak in the morning. what was he charged with? murder of george lloyd. i heard about his fight with lloyd, but i heard that it was a fair fight, in self defense. well, there was only one living witness to the event. unfortunately, that witness was yancy filmore. well, a man's innocent unless proved guilty. how could you prove he was guilty? filmore was stupid. came into town telling everybody who he was, what his reputation was. that was just his way of scarin' away trouble. stupidity. open invitation to battle to anyone in the community. i figure i've saved several lives

how many men do you figure you've hanged in your career, judge? exactly 19, not counting filmore. i'm not sure about him yet. well, why do you hate criminals so much? because i hate stupidity. every man who's appeared before me reeked of stupidity. obvious and trapped in some perfectly moronic maneuver. well, it sounds like you hate 'em more for being stupid than for being criminals. well, i guess there's a small grain of truth in that. i admire confidence in any field. mm. these shoes were made for me by a man that can scarcely speak english and looks like death hung-over, but when he makes shoes, he's an artist. i respect that man. i respect you, too, bodie. i had misgivings about you at first, but you're a hero. born a hero and you'll die a hero. you even look like a hero.

. take george custer for instance. he looked like a hero but he behaved like a fool. no, you are the ultimate in heroes, bodie. but i would respect you just as much, i'm afraid, if you were the ultimate in villains. who, in your opinion, is a master villain? well, i can't answer that question because the master criminals never appeared before me. well, it's true, but, uh, of course you met the black jack. circumstantial evidence. while we're on the subject, let's talk about him. what sort of man is the black jack, bodie? well, we saw his back as he rode away. but his methods, they're cunning, and some foolish, too. how cunning? he uses fear to gain a quick advantage, and those stead show clothes he wears so you know him on sight.

e, they're afraid. gives him a few seconds advantage. but you also say his method is foolish. well, there's always the chance that he'll meet a man that doesn't scare. what do you suppose his background is? city man? backwoodsman? well, at first i thought he was a city man. broad trail he left, the amateur way he tried to cover it up. but i soon learned better. go ahead. i heard him ahead of me, and then he rode off. live with the indians, judge. takes a pretty good trail man to double back and get behind me, but he did. well, maybe he outsmarted you. maybe he didn't double back at all. -how would he do that? -i don't know. i'm not a trail man, either, but there must be ways. suppose he, um, slapped his horse on ahead and hid in ambush. that horse had a rider on it,

well, at any rate, for the present, you must agree that black jack is a near-perfect criminal. makes his robbery, disposes of the posse on his trail, doesn't leave a single clue. i wouldn't say that. criminals always leave clues. he left quite a few. what were they? let's say he smoked cigars, expensive cigars. when i came to, there was still the odor of cigar smoke in the air. but that's not a clue. it was too windy to smoke that day. but believe me, judge, he left clues. i think you're bluffing. for instance, the name jack on the kerchief. somebody had to sew it on there. the average man doesn't sew. might be smart to find the woman that did it for him. well, i think i'll turn in, judge. good night.

thank you, ma'am. good night. good night. ? i don't like that man. ? then why have you taken him in? i've kept him here a while. i have a strange intuition that tells me he may be the black jack.

? i've got to talk to you. oh, sure. ? come on, come on over here

this isn't easy for me to do. i know there must be a right and proper way, but, well, i don't know what it is, so i'm just gonna have to do it my way. do what? i think i love you, mr. bodie. ? you don't like it? i do like it. what man wouldn't? but it isn't fair to you for me to let you do it. then you don't love me? well, love's a funny word. there's a lot of different kinds of love. i do love you in a kind of a way, but not the way that-- the way a man loves a girl he marries. that's right. and i don't think that you love me that way, either. i'm flattered that you consider me. you said "i think i love you." that means that you don't know for sure. suppose i say i do?

you don't have anybody to compare me with. marriage is more than just finding a man that you like the looks of or that you don't mind being touched by. marriage is for a mighty long time, and unless you figure it that way, there's no sense in going into it to begin with. marriage calls for a lot of thought. you once said that the word "friend" meant a lot to you. could you love me as a friend? could i? i do. why, if it hadn't a been for you, i might not be alive now. then take me away when you leave. i can't stand it here. there's something evil about granger, nobody can see it but me. there was a time when i couldn't see it, but i'm beginning to see it now. i'll take you away, miss allen.

all right, lilac. what will you do with me? i'll take you to carson city. there's a fine family there that will be glad to take you in. it sounds nice. tell me more about the judge. where'd he come from? well, i don't know. never talks about his past. well, he's got more money than most judges, hasn't he? well, he claims he has rich kin. but you've never seen 'em? no. nor even a letter from 'em. didn't even say why he was there. married rose and brought us out here to live. it wasn't so bad when i was a little girl, but lately, he's been lookin' at me... i'll take you away like i said, but maybe you'd best get back to the house now. all right, and thanks.

been visiting? i was seein' if mr. bodie was all right. is he? i reckon so. you got all dressed up for the occasion. you never dress up for us. my, my, do i detect a budding romance here? no. well, i'm glad because as i just mentioned to your sister, i have reason to suspect that our friend well, i don't believe it. well, we'll face that when the time is ready. meanwhile, i'm most concerned about you. i realize i've been very unfair. her little sister has grown into a mature young woman. i've kept you away from things. a young woman needs male companionship, otherwise she apt to throw herself at the first unworthy man she meets.

move your hand. come now, i know i'm not unattractive to women. this can be our little secret. granger, you let me go or i'll scream. oh, i don't think you will. you wouldn't want rose to hear. that's about enough, judge. ? aren't you concerning yourself with something that isn't any of your business? i'm tellin' you to leave her alone. nobody tells me what to do. i don't aim to tell you a second time, judge. a hero with one bad arm. ? go to your room. ? maybe you'd better, lilac. ? you should never have done that, bodie. ? i told you once i gave you a reprieve. a reprieve can be revoked.

bodie! i'm hurt, bodie.

bodie! come out here! i am outside, judge. i wasn't sure about you, judge, but i am now. but you made a mistake. you think everybody else is a fool. no fun bein' clever like you are, is it, judge, unless somebody knows about it? so you had to tell me.

you're trying to kill me.

for heaven's sake! get back in there! it's not too bad, rose, i think it's just the flesh of my arm. ooh, my poor baby. rose, i've gotta tell you something. it's gonna hurt you, but i've got to tell you. what?

why aren't you talkin' now, bodie? show yourself! do ya hear me, bodie, do ya hear me? drop your gun. don't make me kill you, judge. you're one man i wanna see face the judge's bench from the other side. now move to the house. drop your gun, mr. bodie. kill him, rose, kill him, he's the black jack. grange, i've known who the black jack is for months. i'm not really ignorant.

rose, i don't understand what-- grange, let me talk. let me talk about you, you've always liked that. you're a great man, i admit it. i happen to know that you never even had a full high school education and you bluffed your way into becoming a judge. an ordinary man couldn't do that. leave it be, grange. i'm not through yet. you came to kansas city where i was one of the prettiest girls there, and only the best was for you so you married me. u weren't really sure of yourself, you buried me out here where you couldn't lose me. ? but i've never complained, not even when you had to prove to yourself that you could be a great criminal, too. ? i've never complained. ? rose, what is this? but you've committed the unforgivable now. the one thing i can't forgive is disloyalty,

madness. did she tell you that? grange, will you ever learn that the world isn't as stupid as you'd like it to be? ? give it to me, rose. ? give me the gun. ? my sister's inside. you can take her away if you want to. you'll be needin' help, we'll stay awhile. ? you all right?

i got shot in the arm, too. you've been shot? well, let's get it-- it's all right, it's all right, rose took care of it. ? guess i'll have to use my good arm to help you, and you'll have to use your good arm to help me. ? and then someday, when our arms are all healed and we don't need each other anymore, what then? well, that's too far in the future for me to predict. most folks try to tell the future that far ahead, i've noticed they're usually bad guesses. ?

anything i can do for you? yeah. mr. henshaw? gabe henshaw. who are you? my name's randall. well, i wasn't sure you could come. yeah? why not? well, as i said in my letter, i have only $30 to put out. slow season. sometimes i work cheap. in your letter, mr. henshaw, you said that, uh, your son had been killed.