Rawhide (1959) s03e18 Episode Script

Hyah! Rollin', rollin', rollin' Keep movin', movin', movin' Though they're disapprovin' Keep them dogies movin' Rawhide! Don't try To understand 'em Just rope, throw And brand 'em Soon we'll be livin' High and wide My heart's calculatin' My true love Will be waitin' Be waiting at the end Of my ride Move 'em on, head 'em up Head 'em up, move 'em on Move 'em on, head 'em up Rawhide Let 'em out, ride 'em in Ride 'em in, let 'em out Cut 'em out Ride 'em in Rawhide! Rollin', rollin', rollin' Hyah! Hyah! Rawhide! Hyah! What're you tryi" to do, Mushy? Get that horse to throw you? I was trying to do what you just did, Mr.
Nolan.
What'd I just do? Well, come to a halt and get out of your saddle before your horse stops.
Land on your feet.
Well, always remember one thing, Mushy.
When you're ridin' someplace, don't get there ahead of your horse.
Try it on that hill.
What? That slope? Yeah.
That way you won't roll so far.
Well, I'll try, Mr.
Nolan.
Thank you.
Will you watch me? I think I'd better.
Hold it, mister.
You're making a mistake, son.
You talk to Mr.
Favor.
You with Mr.
Favor's herd, son? Now, what counts is that steer's with Mr.
Favor's herd.
What's going on here? Why'd you fire the warning shot? Well, he figures he's caught himself a rustler.
Red-handed.
Put that gun away, Mushy.
But Mr.
Nolan.
Put it away.
You wanna give him a chance to draw on it.
Mushy, can you tell me which way our herd is from here? That's right.
Now, which way was this rustler hazing the steer? Did you ever hear of a rustler hazing a steer back into a herd? For all I know he was hazing that steer, and he ain't got no right to.
He's got every right, Mushy.
This is Frank Miller.
He's a herd cutter.
You know what a herd cutter is.
Yeah, a herd cutter.
Hey, he's a man hired by the ranchers.
Uh, he stops the herd and he cuts out other people's strays that get mixed up in it.
I think.
That's right, Mushy.
Now about all that's left is for you to apologize to Mr.
Miller, and we'll get goin'.
I guess I'm sorry, Mr.
Miller.
I think.
Well, if you want to show him how sorry you are, how about hazing that steer back to the herd.
Ha-ha.
Your cook's louse? Yeah.
How could you tell? Yeah, the red one.
The red one is from the Running A.
There's a special Circle G.
Uh, that black one there.
He's a Diamond Bar.
There's a Easy E.
There's a Easy E.
Go.
There's a Diamond Bar.
There, that black fella.
Spot's got a J on 'em.
There's a Easy E.
There's an Easy E.
Go.
Watch, got an R on him.
There's one.
Here's a Diamond B.
There's a Circle J.
There's a Circle J.
Watch, got an R on him.
That white one's all right.
It's yours.
Boy, he sure can spot them brands.
He's the best.
He's been doing it a lot of years.
Cutting for all the ranchers in the valley, he's calling maybe He just missed one there.
Yeah.
Get it, Joe.
That ain't the first one either.
I saw you cut out a couple he missed.
Well, when I first knew him, he ain't never missed a one.
Well, it's a big herd.
He's probably getting tired.
Oh, he's getting a few years on him.
Maybe his eyes aren't what they were.
You never noticed anything though.
Oh, well, sure I do.
Well Oh.
That'd do it, Frank? You're cleaner now.
It's true.
You can take 'em on up the trail tomorrow mornin'.
Good.
We'll bed 'em down then.
You got quite a haul, didn't you, Mr.
Miller? Yeah.
Better than a hundred head, I guess.
Hey, you'd a cost us a pretty penny.
How many years has it been that you've been workin' cattle? Well, now, there's a question.
You know, I never did keep track.
But this young whippersnapper here, he oughta be able to tell you.
Who, Mr.
Favor? Yeah, I was cuttin' 'fore he could set a horse.
No, I ain't kept track neither.
And how long it's been since you come up north here, Frank? Why, it's going on seven years now.
That long? Say, Rowdy.
You seen Jim Quince? Yeah, I sent him out brush-beating for strays about an hour ago.
Ain't he back yet? Don't see him nowheres.
He oughta be back by now.
You better take a look then.
Son, you better take a couple men with you.
Yeah, what for? Well, uh, he might have run into somethin'.
We've been having a little trouble around here lately.
Trouble? What kind? Been losing beef.
Indians? No, not around here.
We don't know who it is, but, uh, your man might just have run into something.
See to it, Rowdy.
Yeah.
Funny thing, you know? Ain't never noticed these losses till just lately.
Oh, it couldn't have been too much then.
Not all at one time, but just sort of a steady drain.
You know, more than you could account for by natural causes, like weather and disease.
But there's just no trace of 'em.
All the stockmen in the valley are gettin' up in arms.
Oh, everybody losing? Some more than others.
But everybody.
Including me.
Coffee's ready.
Good.
I can use some of that.
Hey, you! Put up your hands.
You heard me.
Put up your hands.
Uh, now, hold on, mister.
You got me wrong.
This ain't my fire.
No, of course not.
But it'll do.
How do you mean? We'll show you.
Wait a minute, mister.
You gotta listen to me.
I'm with a trail herd.
I'm just gathering strays.
Sure.
But that ain't one of your strays.
He's got the brand of one of the ranchers in this valley.
It ain't my fire either.
Nor my runnin' iron.
I came up and surprised him, whoever he was.
Thought he had one of our strays.
I yelled.
He ran up that draw.
Well, you can find his tracks.
There's tracks all over the place.
What'd he look like? Well it was hard to see.
He was ridin' a bay horse with a blaze.
More than a hundred in this valley answer that description.
Don't I at least get a trial? You've had it.
We're tired of you drovers coming through this valley and fattening your herds at our expense.
We're just gonna make an example of you.
Look, mister.
At least give me a chance to prove what I say.
My boss'll vouch for me.
I gotta tell somebody.
I don't want to die out here alone.
You ain't gonna die, Jim.
Now, let him go.
You his boss? One of 'em.
Now, did you hear what I said? You, uh You don't know who you're talkin' to, boy.
I'm deputy sheriff of this county.
You're sure acting like one, mister.
Well, it's your own fault.
You drovers, it's the only way to fight you.
Uh, not with vigilante law.
We'll abide by real law.
But you ain't gonna hang one of our men, deputy sheriff or no.
And I tell you, he's under arrest.
Now, you say you abide by the law.
You try to take him, and you're going against it.
What kind of law is putti" a rope around a man's neck? If he's under arrest, why didn't you take him to jail, give him a trial? All right, we'll take him in.
But he'll hang anyway, don't worry.
Rowdy you gonna let him take me in? Yeah, well, maybe that's best for now, Jim.
He has got some authority.
We'll find out about this and get you out in no time.
In the meanwhile, we'll, uh We'll ride along with you just to make sure you get there.
Safe.
Pretty valley, ain't it? Kinda like it here, huh? You know, I never thought I'd come to love a place, but this valley sorta grows on you.
Havin' your own spread makes a difference too, Gil.
I recommend it.
Yeah.
Maybe someday.
Now, don't wait too long.
I almost did.
Might never have had it at all if it hadn't been for my boy.
Yeah, well, it's different for you.
You've got a son.
Yeah, Andy.
Nineteen already.
Ah, that's right.
Suppose it sounds kinda foolish, but, well he's what all this is for.
You know, couple more years, he'll be able to take over.
And we built it up pretty good for him.
Then I can cash my checks anytime, and it won't matter.
Say, where is that son of yours, anyway? Why, he's taking care of the ranch while I'm gone.
He's a nice boy, Gil, uh I'd like you to meet him.
Maybe we'll just ride down before you get away in the mornin'.
Ah, I'd like that.
Looks like your boys comin' in.
Yeah, but too fast.
Something's wrong.
What is it? Quince, he's in jail.
They had him strung to a tree when we come across him.
For what?! For rustling, I guess.
He evidently came across the fella who they were after, and he got stuck with the evidence.
Evidence? Yeah.
A downed calf, a fire and a running iron.
No wonder.
The mood they're in, just a running iron would be enough.
Uh, Quince tried to tell 'em they were making a mistake.
He'd have been dead if I hadn't gotten there when I did.
Uh, they had the law on their side.
That's why I couldn't talk him free or anything.
Think he's safe in this town, Frank? Well, for a spell.
But they're probably have a pretty speedy trial.
I left Bailey in there.
Told him to send word if anything went wrong.
Gil, you figure this fella of yours is telling the truth? Quince.
He's one of the best men I got.
I'd trust him as far as I would Rowdy or you.
He's no rustler.
Mr.
Favor, look.
Looks like a whole delegation.
More like a posse to me.
Frank.
The whole kit and caboodle.
Town fathers.
Major stockmen.
Who's the boss, Frank? This is Mr.
Gil Favor, gentlemen, one of the best trail bosses in the business.
And I oughta know.
I had a hand in his training.
Gil, this is Morgan Shaw, our sheriff.
This is John Rye, mayor of the town.
That's, uh, Marsh Cox.
Yeah, I understand you're holding one of my men.
That's right.
But he won't be held long, I can assure you.
I'm glad to hear that.
'Cause I can assure you that he's innocent of the charge.
How can you be sure of that? Well, I know the man, that's all.
Well, I don't.
And I don't know you.
For all I know, he could have been acting under your orders.
What do you mean by that? I mean you trail herders always manage to leave with more stock than you come with.
Now, wait a minute, Morgan.
Now, Frank you stay outta this.
Why should I? I just told you this man's a friend of mine.
Maybe that don't make it any better, Frank.
Now, wait a minute.
What are you trying to do? Accuse me of being in some illegal deal with Mr.
Favor here? No, Frank.
You know better than that.
We're not trying to accuse you of anything.
Well, then what do you mean? Well you know as well as we do that we're losing stock some way.
You yourself are.
Only thing we can figure is these trail herds are picking it up as they go through.
Then you are accusing me.
You're accusing me of not doing my job.
Well, no.
No, Frank.
Not that exactly.
But it is possible that one time or another you do miss a few sometimes.
Yes, I do.
'Cause my eyes aren't what they once were.
Maybe I should have admitted it and asked for help.
But I wanna tell you this: I didn't let through all the stock that we've lost.
Take a look in that holding corral over there.
That's what I cut out of Mr.
Favor's herd.
Over a hundred head.
Well, that's partly what we mean, Frank.
Seems like a lot of cattle for them to have picked up just passing through.
We can't help picking up strays going across a range.
You know that.
And I cut 'em all out, that's my job.
Now you take a look at the main herd.
You won't find one, maybe two, without brands.
Maybe not.
How many would we find if we could turn 'em inside out? Yeah, and after all, we find one of his men with a hot fire and a running iron.
Now, how many other irons are there in this crew? I know a row of blotched brand when I see one.
Yes, but maybe you weren't watching for 'em, Frank.
You were reading our herds.
Well, we're holding this herd until we can check it thoroughly.
It's all right, Frank.
You go ahead, check the herd.
Satisfy yourselves.
We will, first thing in the morning.
It's getting too dark tonight.
But we'll leave a guard here to see that you don't move anything.
All right.
And if you've satisfied yourselves there's nothing here, then you'll let my men go.
No, I didn't say that.
You're not having stolen cattle wouldn't prove him innocent.
And anyway, that's for a jury to decide.
What jury? You and your friends? I'll tell you something, mister.
You'd better let him go, or you're gonna be in for trouble.
Well, now, you just try that, sonny.
We're not afraid of trouble.
We'll be ready for you, and maybe you'll join your friend.
Frank.
You coming? No.
I'll stay here.
Suit yourself.
Sorry, Gil.
So am I.
What are we gonna do? I don't know yet.
Is there any chance Jim will get a fair trial in town? Fair, yes.
But who's gonna prove him innocent? Guess that's up to us somehow.
Yeah, but how? Just gonna have to flush out the man who really did it.
Well, what happens if we can't? I don't know.
You ready for 'em, Gil? Any time.
How about Quince? He's all right.
I just checked at the jail.
Now, you don't have to worry about Morgan Shaw.
He's an honest sheriff.
And he'll keep him safe until the trial.
When's that? They got it set for 3.
They're not waitin' for the circuit judge.
They're forming a county committee.
Vigilantes? Well, it's better than no trial at all.
Oh, Gil, this is Andy.
Andy, this is Gil Favor.
Howdy, Andy.
Glad to meet you, Mr.
Favor.
My father says you're a great man.
I'm just another cowhand.
There's a few things greater than that.
Not to my father.
Well, now, they don't come any greater than he is.
Yeah, I know.
Uh, sorry about all this.
Puttin' you to all this trouble, Mr.
Favor.
We're not being very hospitable, are we? Ah, I guess it can't be helped.
Are you ready, Favor? We'll get 'em over there.
My men'll squeeze 'em through, your men will hold and ride after 'em.
That satisfactory? Let's get it over with.
Hey, hey.
Well? We didn't see anything.
What about blotched brands? Nope.
You wouldn't take my word.
Look, Frank all I know is we're losing stock somehow.
Maybe that drover hasn't got any.
And maybe he has.
What do you mean? Maybe he's got some way of gettin' 'em past us.
Maybe he sent 'em around and through the pass down to the valley.
You think he could have done that without me findin' it out? I don't know, Frank.
Now, wait a minute.
I don't care what you think about me, but nobody in 40 years has questioned Frank Miller's integrity.
And you've got no call to now.
You're doing an injustice to a friend and a neighbor.
Nobody's questionin' Frank's integrity.
Personally, I'm convinced you had nothing to do with it, Favor.
Sorry we didn't take Frank's word for it.
I hope you'll forgive us for that.
Anyway, you're free to take your herd on.
Not without my man, Quince.
He has to stand trial.
Before a vigilante court? I assure you he'll be treated fairly.
If you want to testify for him, you may do so.
If you have any evidence in his behalf, you can present it.
Well, you know I haven't got any evidence.
How could I? But I know the man is innocent.
If you can prove it, he'll go free.
I promise you.
It's up to you.
I'm warning you.
I'm not gonna let any vigilante court hang any men of mine.
Especially when I know he's innocent.
Like our sheriff told you, we don't want trouble.
But if it comes, we can take care of it.
If he's sentenced to hang he'll hang.
What are we gonna do? First of all, show me where that brandin' iron was.
It's not much to go on.
Not enough to prove anything.
And not enough to convince anybody Quince was tellin' the truth.
I was convinced when you vouched for him.
Let's see where those tracks lead.
See anything over there?! No.
Afraid it's no use, Mr.
Favor.
Looks like we lost 'em.
That fella sure knew what he's doing.
Well, now where do we stand? Well, if we can't track him out, we're gonna have to think him out.
You people must have talked this over.
Aren't there some suspects? Well, first we thought it might be Indians.
But they would have left signs.
So would any outside bunch of rustlers.
And we found no sign at all.
Well, then it must have occurred to you that it might be somebody from here in the valley.
Yeah, we talked about that.
But that's just a blank wall.
You see, every stockman, he's a solid citizen.
And every one of 'em has been losing stock.
Now, there's nobody in the town that could be doin' it.
Why not? Well, it's too big an operation.
First off, where would they hold the stock? Then where would they sell it? Except a passin' herd.
Now that's why the suspicions finally got to rest on you fellas.
Yeah, I see.
Isn't there any local market? Oh, sure.
Town butcher.
Ha-ha.
He couldn't sell that much meat in 10 years.
Of course, the tannery buys hides, but, uh well, what would they do with the carcasses? Where do they get their hides? They buy 'em from all around.
'Course most of 'em come from Fort Hawkes.
That's a Army post over in Warm Creek.
How far's that? Oh, Less, over the hill.
Are where do they get their beef? Oh, they buy from all of us, all around.
It's a matter of policy they say to spread out their buyin', so nobody will accuse them of playing favorites.
Why, some of their stock's driven in from three, four counties away, I'm told.
Well, then nobody but them would know exactly how much beef they're buying from this valley.
No, I suppose not.
And it's the biggest local market? Oh, by far.
Well, then that's where we'll check in first.
Who's in charge there? A Colonel Cook.
Of course, you'd want to see the supply officer.
Uh Andy, what's that fella's name? Uh Uh, Lieutenant Hill, I think.
Oh, yeah.
Andy took over the last stock we sold 'em, but it was quite a while ago.
Anyhow, he'll tell you who you wanna see.
All right.
Now, wait a minute.
Don't you want us to go with you? No, Rowdy and I can handle it.
Say, would you go back to town, keep an eye on Quince? Maybe you can delay the trial until we get back with what we can find.
Uh, which way do we go? Why, right over the hills, follow this wash up to the side.
You'll see it down in the canyon down the valley there.
Right.
We'll be back as soon as we can.
Well, I'll do what I can.
Good luck to you.
Ah, say could you tell me where I might find the supply officer? Lieutenant Hill.
Uh, I just saw him down there in the Sutler Store.
Uh, thanks, corporal.
This is the third time you run out of tobacco.
I'm sorry, lieutenant.
What's the most important item in the Sutler Store? Tobacco.
Next time you run out, you lose your franchise right then and there.
Lieutenant Hill? Yes.
What can I do for you, gentlemen? Howdy.
My name's Favor.
I'm boss of a trail herd that's going through.
Little short on men, little long on cattle.
I was just wondering if I could sell you some beef.
I'm afraid not.
We're pretty well stocked right now.
I see.
You, uh, buy all your beef around here? From the ranchers around here, yes.
Yeah, well, you get a better price that way.
But, um, I'd be willing to give a good price too.
No, thanks.
You're not even gonna ask me my price? Say, you must be getting a good one.
I'm busy.
Uh, you, uh, buy all from the same source, huh? Look, Mr.
Favor.
Let's drop the pretense.
I've heard about you and your trouble in town.
Military intelligence, huh? Something like that.
Now, why did you come here? What do you want from me? Just some information.
What information? Somebody's rustling some cattle.
I think they're selling 'em to you.
That's absurd.
Is it? Then you won't mind telling me who you're buying your stock from.
I've already told you.
We buy it from many sources.
I just want to know who they are.
You don't believe me, huh? I'd just like to see the records.
They're government property, Mr.
Favor.
I couldn't show them to you if I wanted to.
I haven't the authority.
Well, who has? Colonel Cook? No.
Nobody this side of Washington.
Look, this means a man's life.
An innocent man's.
His innocence or guilt doesn't concern me, Mr.
Favor.
I simply haven't the authority to show you those records.
Now, you're gonna have to take my word that the charge is absurd.
I have nothing to hide about the way I conduct my office.
Nobody's accusing you of anything.
You're suggesting I knowingly bought stolen cattle.
No, I'm suggesting somebody's selling you stolen cattle, which is a much different thing.
You could be buying in good faith.
Now, all I need to know is who you been buying the most stock from over in the valley lately.
And I cannot tell you.
Or won't.
Let's put it this way, Mr.
Favor, I wouldn't if I could.
All right.
That's all I need to know.
You know he's lying? He's in it all right.
He's probably buying at cut prices and pocketing the rest.
Jasper like that will leave the Army rich.
Won't be the first.
Well, what are we gonna do? How are we gonna prove anything? Let's look over their beef.
Not that way, gentlemen.
You can leave the way you came.
Just looking around.
This is government property.
I'll have to ask you to leave.
Did you see anything? Kind of looked like several brands.
Only one I could make out was Circle A though.
I don't think there's any other way we could get back to those pens without getting shot.
Not before dark.
I got another idea though.
Cattle make tracks.
They must have brought 'em in some way.
So let's see if we can cut a trail on 'em.
Well I don't know what to tell you.
This looks like a regular Santa Fe Trail for critters, the way these tracks go every which way.
I don't know.
l Looks like it's hopeless, you know? Maybe.
Let's try a little bit further.
That jasper nearly got me.
Yeah.
This is better.
Look.
We got 'em on the run.
Yeah! Hold it.
Hold it? Yeah, we'd never catch up to 'em now anyway.
Something tells me we don't have to chase him though.
All we gotta do is look around here.
Rowdy.
Come on up here.
They're all brands.
All of them.
Some are older than others, but they're all blotched.
Yeah, and they're all Circle A's.
Just holds 'em up here in this backcountry box canyon 'til their brands heal.
And then drives 'em up the wash, over the hill to the fort.
Pretty simple.
Now, all we gotta do is find out whose brand is the Circle A.
And I guess they'll know that in town, huh? Let's go.
Quince is gonna be a happy man.
James Quince, the jury finds you guilty.
The sentence is hanging.
Get up.
Well, we might as well get it over with.
Now, wait a minute.
You can't do this.
Favor may show up at any time with some new evidence.
You don't want to hang an innocent man.
The verdict's been reached, Frank.
And I think they're right.
But you don't have to rush right out to the nearest tree.
You can wait a little, can't you? We've waited long enough.
We might have done it yesterday, and save all this trouble.
Well, I'm not sorry about that.
But it's legal now.
There's no sense putting it off.
No, Frank.
This ain't the kind of a thing you want to sit around and think about.
No, you might lose your nerve, huh, Jim? Morgan, I'm pleading.
Get out of my way, Frank.
Go on.
I'm sorry, Quince.
Hm.
You did everything you could, Mr.
Miller.
l Sure do thank you.
Go on, Quince.
Come on, let's go.
Find anything, Gil? Yes, I did.
I know who's doing your rustling.
Who? I don't know his name, but I know his brand.
I know where he holds the stock until the brands heal.
And I know where he's selling 'em.
All right, who? What's the brand? The Circle A.
You know what you're saying? Yours, Frank? Show me.
Just show me.
And you better be right.
All right.
Put him back in jail.
We'll have to see about this.
All right.
Where are they? They're gone.
This is a man you called your friend, Frank.
It's no lie.
Look at all those tracks down there.
So? There's cattle all over this range.
They'll go anywhere there's grass and water.
Now, what we wanna see are those blotched brands you were talking about.
Where are they? Well, they couldn't have been taken far.
All we have to do is look up one of these washes here.
And waste more time? Ah, we're sick of your lies.
That's right.
For the evidence, you're just stalling for time.
Could be a trick, and their men trying something back in town.
We'd better get back and finish it.
Great friends.
Using a man like Frank this way.
What are we gonna do? Better get back to town.
Frank Get on back to the herd, bring every available man.
I'll stick with them.
We didn't find a thing.
What are you doing here, Favor? You might as well move on.
Unless you want to stay for the hanging.
Now, wait a minute, Marsh.
That's all I'm asking you to do is wait a minute and listen to me.
Now, I didn't know the Circle A was Frank Miller's brand.
But even if I did, why would I pick that particular brand if I hadn't really seen it on those cattle.
Go on.
I don't believe Frank is involved in this any more than you do.
Besides knowing what kind of a man he is saw how it hit him.
I'm sorry for that.
But it does point up the fact that there is a logical suspect.
Who? I should think that'd be pretty easy to figure out.
It'd have to be somebody who could sell the brand.
Somebody who had the power to sign Frank Miller's name on a bill of sale over at Fort Hawkes.
Andy? Now, I don't know anything about the boy, and I only saw him yesterday.
And he seemed all right as far as I could see.
But he does own a bay horse with a blaze, just like Quince said he saw.
Well isn't it possible? He has free reign handling his father's stock.
He has taken cattle over to Fort Hawkes for sale, alone.
Well, what about the boy? Well, he's only been here a couple of years.
Not very much like his father, we know that.
Uh, I guess he grew up with his mother in towns, you know, while Frank was out working cattle somewhere.
But that don't convict him of rustling.
You're letting this man throw dust in your eyes.
Turn you away from the verdict the court's already brought in.
We're not turning away from anything, Marsh.
I don't take Favor's word any more than you do, but he has got a point, and it is possible.
Yes, it is.
He may be stalling.
He may be making wild guesses, but he has got a point.
Only you'll have to prove it.
That's all I ask is a chance to do that.
And the promise that you won't try hanging Quince while I'm away.
I'll give you an hour.
No more.
Hour? All right.
I'll be back, Jim.
Pa.
Uh I thought you were in town.
l I was just coming in myself.
I wanna talk to you, Andy.
Well, c-can't it wait? No, it can't wait.
Andy, for two years, I tried to get close to you, like I figured a father and a son ought to be, but some reason, I just can't do it.
I guess maybe it's my fault, but Well, uh, the time has come when you and me gotta understand each other.
Whatever you say, Pa.
Andy, all my life I tried to live the way my dad taught me.
Honest, straightforward.
Give full measure to every man.
Double deal no man.
Do a good day's work.
And lay your head on a pillow at night with no sense of guilt.
Now, that's the way I've lived.
And that's what the name Frank Miller has stood for all over the West for better than 40 years.
Yeah, I know, Pa.
Uh, wait.
Son, if there's anything you ought to tell me, uh why don't you tell me now.
What things, Pa? Well, if you've made any mistakes, it's a good time to get 'em off your chest.
No.
No, there's nothing.
Well, take your medicine, wipe the slate clean.
There's nothing, I tell you.
Look, son, if you've got a man's life on your conscience I don't know what you're talking about.
Andy, look.
Look, you know how I feel about your being here.
And how I feel about your future.
This is your place, Andy.
The Circle A.
A is for Andy.
I don't want it.
I never wanted it.
I hate it here.
I'm going back to St.
Louis.
What? I'm not like you, Pa! Can't you understand that? I wanna get out of here, and I'm going to.
Get out of my way, Pa.
I'm through.
We get here in time? Wish, you and the boys stick over by the sheriff's office.
Rowdy, you come on with me.
Right.
Find Andy Miller yet? No, I doubt he's even in town.
He's probably still out at the ranch.
We haven't got time to go out there now.
I got another idea though.
Yeah, what's that? The tannery.
The third link in the chain.
We should find the evidence we need there.
Hey.
Army saddle.
Our friend Lieutenant Hill may be here.
Could be.
That was him all right.
The other fellow was probably the tanner.
The third link in the chain.
Andy steals the cattle, Hill buys 'em, and the tanner turns the hides without examining the brands too close.
A very neat operation.
Hmm.
Um, maybe it's too neat.
Maybe we can't prove nothing.
We can try.
Come on.
Watch your step there.
That's a lime pit.
Over here.
This must be them.
Circle A.
Now, let's see if it's the same on the other side.
Looks like a Rafter D.
Wasn't hard to blotch that one.
Phew.
I guess this is what we've been looking for.
Go on back, get the sheriff.
Bring him here.
I'll see what else I can find.
All right.
Nope.
Don't touch it.
Put your hands up slow.
Got quite a little business here, Andy.
Better than ranching, huh? Guess you're just not a cowman like your father, huh? No, and I don't wanna be either.
Well, you'd rather steal from him and his friends, and shoot at 'em from ambush.
Mr.
Favor, this is a gun I'm holding.
I can use it, and I will.
You clear out now.
Take your herd and go.
Tomorrow morning, I'll meet you on the other side of the pass with 30 head of prime beef.
No questions, no problems.
You're forgetting one thing, aren't you? Man named Quince.
Yeah, well, you can manage without him.
Yeah.
But can he manage without me? I don't think so.
I don't think I like your proposition either.
Take it or leave it.
I don't think I have to do that either.
Don't you? They'd never find a trace of you in that lime pit.
They'd never know what happened to you.
I think they would.
See, Rowdy's already gone for the sheriff.
They'll know the whole thing by now.
And I don't think you could get rid of all the evidence quick enough.
Grant! He knows! We gotta get rid of these hides.
Help me throw 'em in the lime pit.
No, Andy! Don't blame yourself, Frank.
Well, I had my dreams of the future.
I guess I forgot he might have had his own.
Circle A.
Still a good ranch, Frank.
And you still have plenty of good friends.
I'm sorry, Frank.
Well Gil, there's one thing you might remember, if you ever have a boy, it's It is pretty hard for the son when he figures his dad is such a great man.
I sure didn't help any.
What I said to him.
Aw, it wasn't your fault.
None of it.
Mr.
Favor.
I guess you know what I'm gonna say.
Forget it.
No.
No, I'll never do that.
But there's one thing I'd like to ask you.
Yeah? Could you relieve me of cutting and branding duty for a spell? What for? I've had my bellyful of rope.
Yeah.
Head 'em up! Move 'em out! Rollin', rollin', rollin' Rollin', rollin' Rollin' Keep rollin', rollin' Rollin' Though the streams Are swollen Keep them dogies rollin' Rawhide! Through rain and wind And weather Hell-bent for leather Wishin' my gal Was by my side All the things I'm missin' Good vittles Love and kissin' Are waiting at the end Of my ride Move 'em on, head 'em up Head 'em up, move 'em on Move 'em on, head 'em up Rawhide Let 'em out, ride 'em in Ride 'em in, let 'em out Cut 'em out Ride 'em in Rawhide! Rollin', rollin', rollin' Hyah! Hyah! Rawhide! Hyah! Hyah! Rollin', rollin', rollin'