Rawhide (1959) s04e19 Episode Script
The Greedy Town
Rollin', rollin', rollin' Rollin', rollin', rollin' Keep movin', movin', movin' Though they're disapprovin' Keep them dogies movin' Rawhide Don't try to understand 'em Just rope and throw and brand 'em Soon we'll be living 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' - Rollin', rollin', rollin' - Hyahl That's far enough.
Easy, mister.
I'm not carrying a gun.
You tell me what you're doing here, and it better make sense.
I'm looking for a man by the name of Clay Forrester.
I'm Clay Forrester.
What do you want? You were a soldier stationed in the town of Dry Rock five years ago? That's right.
You testified at the trial of Buddy Randolph? Yeah.
What about it? I got $200 for you.
You got $200 for that bug-eared saddle tramp? Yeah.
What'd he do to earn it? He hasn't earned it, yet.
But he can earn it very quickly if he'll ride into Dry Rock with me.
Dry Rock? Why? Who are you? Who sent you? No one you know.
But she's real anxious to meet you.
She'll pay $2,000 for the privilege.
This here's just a down payment.
You want it or not? Well, yeah, I want it, as soon as I find out what I have to do to get it.
Uh, Rowdy, you can spare me for a while, can't you? Yeah, but you sure you're being smart? You could be risking your neck, you know.
Up till now, my neck hasn't been even worth 50 cents.
For $2,000, I'd risk everything that's hooked on to it.
That isn't very much.
Right.
Well, we'll be staying over here a few days to wait for Mr.
Favor.
Be sure you're back when we leave.
Well, uh, let's go, friend.
It's all right, Miss Ada.
He's Clay Forrester.
You're sure he's the right man? Yes, Miss Ada.
You must forgive me, Mr.
Forrester, but I'm carrying rather a large sum of money.
I can't afford to take chances.
My name is Ada Randolph.
I'm Buddy Randolph's mother.
The last I heard of Buddy, he was still in prison.
Five years, ain't it? My son died two weeks ago, Mr.
Forrester.
I brought him back here to have him buried.
Here? Why? Buddy left a will, Mr.
Forrester, and you are one of his heirs.
Me? Oh, well, ma'am, I was with the posse that hunted him down.
Well, it was my testimony that helped send him to prison.
Why would he leave me anything? Let's say he was of a forgiving nature.
And now that you have arrived, all the rest of the people I have to see are right here in Dry Rock.
Joshua, get the box.
I gather you are familiar with this town, Mr.
Forrester.
Well, I was five years ago.
Then perhaps you'd be good enough to see us to the bank.
I wish to make a deposit.
Why, it's Clay Forrester.
Hello, Floyd.
We have some business with Mr.
Emory.
Sure thing.
Right this way.
It's Clay Forrester, Mr.
Emory.
I know.
I heard.
Forrester, how are you? I'd like to have you meet Mrs.
Randolph, Mr.
Emory.
Mrs.
Randolph.
Heard you were in town.
Saw the funeral.
You know, folks is wondering why you brought your son back here to be buried instead of taking him home where he was born.
Let's say somehow it seemed more appropriate to bring him back here, Mr.
Emory.
After all, he was well-known here, wasn't he? Yes.
I wish to open an account and deposit some money.
Yes, ma'am.
Won't you sit down, Mrs.
Randolph? Thank you.
You know it's been a long time since we welcomed a new customer.
Now, how large a sum did you wish to deposit? $300,000.
Well, I'll just fill in the amou In cash.
Show him, Joshua.
You mean to say that you carried all that money with you? It was well hidden, Mr.
Emory.
Mrs.
Randolph, have you any idea what people would do for a fortune like that? Nobody knew I had it.
Besides, it's safe now.
- Well - Can you handle it? Be glad to, ma'am.
Floyd, come over here.
There should be $300,000 in this box.
You check it and put it in the safe.
And you double-check him, Joshua.
Now, is this account to be opened in your name, ma'am? No, sir.
The estate of Buddy Randolph.
The estate of You mean that money's his? That's right, Mr.
Emory.
That money is his.
Oh.
You, uh, planning to settle in Dry Rock, ma'am? No, sir.
I plan to be outta here in three or four days.
Oh, then the deposit's only temporary.
On the contrary.
I have every hope that it'll be permanent.
I would appreciate it very much if you would call a meeting of the town council for this afternoon.
I'll explain then why I've come here.
I'd be glad to, ma'am.
See, there's only three of us.
That's me I'm the mayor and Judge Wainwright and Sheriff Jason.
I would also appreciate having present at that meeting the five witnesses who testified against my son at his trial.
Well, that should be easy.
Let me see.
There's, uh, Clay here, me, my teller Floyd, the town barber, Bix Thompson, and Honey Lassiter.
Honey? Is she still in town? Same old place.
- Shall we say 3:00 this afternoon? - Very good, ma'am.
We usually have our meetings in Judge Wainwright's chambers.
That's the courthouse building just across from the hotel.
I'll be there.
And now, Mr.
Forrester, Joshua will see me back to the hotel.
Goodbye, ma'am.
Forrester.
Well, Sheriff, hello.
I heard you was back in town.
I hoped it wasn't true.
Let's see.
How many times was it you locked me up in that jail of yours? Just as many times as you and your friends got to feeling too good and started shooting up the town.
Aw, we were soldiers, Sheriff.
We had to let off steam somehow.
And somehow I had to maintain law and order.
I'm warning you, Forrester.
I'll still lock up a man if he breaks a law.
By the way, what's your business in Dry Rock? Whatever it is, it's my business.
Remembering you, it's not likely to stay that way for long.
Are you paid to take care of trouble, Sheriff, or are you itching to start some? I see you haven't changed any, Forrester.
How about some service, Honey? Just a minute.
Clay! Clay Forrester! Well, I was hoping you hadn't forgotten me.
Well, it's so good to see you again.
It's so long since we've had a stranger in town.
How you been, Honey? Oh, I'm like this town.
I don't improve with age.
You're wrong.
You look better than ever.
You know, I shouldn't tell you this, Clay, but when the army moved you away from here, I cried for two whole days.
I can't say I blame you.
I always did leave a trail of broken hearts behind me.
Same old Clay.
I'll bet you can still charm a gopher into eating cactus.
Well, that depends on the gopher.
How come you're still in town, Honey? I figured you'd left years ago.
That's what you always wanted, wasn't it? Oh, it takes money to leave.
Maybe I just stopped caring.
After what happened with Buddy Randolph, and, oh, then the mines closing down, the town going bust Well, it was like everybody was in a big pit they just couldn't climb out of.
There must've been some way for you to leave.
Well, I thought about it once with Buddy, but you know what came of that.
No.
When I leave this town, I'm going with my head high, not walking three paces behind some man who thinks he owns me.
Honey, you're telling that to the wrong man.
I never promised I don't mean you, Clay.
You never lied to me.
I'm glad you've come back.
You come alone? Uh, Buddy Randolph's ma sent word she wanted to see me.
What's she here for? Well, we'll find that out this afternoon.
She wants us both at a town meeting at 3:00.
Oh, she does, does she? Well, I won't be there.
Could be important.
What can you lose by coming? You know what I think of Buddy, and I got no love for any of his kin, either.
I'm thinking there'd be no harm in hearing what she has to say.
Besides, it'd be less boring with you sitting next to me.
And after it's over, well, maybe we can go somewhere and sort of, well, get to know each other again.
Mm-hmm.
I was right.
You can still charm a gopher into eating cactus.
Well, she should be here any minute.
Well, didn't she tell you anything further about why she wanted us to meet? Only what I told you, that's all.
But I figure anyone who can deposit $300,000 in my bank is someone worth listening to.
It's only one minute to 3:00, Judge.
Mrs.
Randolph, may I present Miss Lassiter.
Mr.
Forrester you already know.
Mr.
Thompson.
Mr.
Peters you already know.
- Judge Wainwright.
- Good morning.
And Sheriff Jason.
Won't you sit down, Mrs.
Randolph? Sheriff Jason.
My son wrote to me about you.
Mrs.
Randolph, I'm sorry to have to say this, but your son was a troublemaker.
He got in one scrape after another.
Let's say, first of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming.
I shall try to be brief and to the point.
This is my son's will.
As you all know by now, he died in prison two weeks ago.
What you may not know is that he was quite wealthy in his own right.
He left an estate of $300,000, and he bequeathed that entire estate to your fair city, to the town of Dry Rock.
I need hardly point out to you that that means more than $2,000 apiece for every man, woman, and child living here right now.
Well, I don't understand, Mrs.
Randolph.
Why would your son leave anything to this town? Because he had faith in it, Your Honor.
Faith in its devotion to justice, faith in its willingness to right a wrong.
This $300,000, ma'am did he leave it to the town outright, no strings attached? Not quite, Mr.
Forrester.
There are two conditions.
First, that my son's name be cleared, because he was innocent of any wrongdoing.
Second, that the man who hounded and persecuted him, Sheriff Jason here, be expelled from this town, and his property acquired as a final resting place for my son's remains, and that a fitting memorial be established to his memory.
You find this amusing, Miss Lassiter? No, Mrs.
Randolph, I don't.
Quite frankly, it turns my stomach.
I take it, Judge Wainwright, it would not be impossible to reopen my son's case? Not impossible, Mrs.
Randolph, but very difficult.
There would have to be substantial new evidence introduced.
Or perhaps a change of testimony by the witnesses.
We told the truth, ma'am.
There'd be no reason to change our testimony.
What happens to the money, ma'am, if these two conditions aren't met? The money will be used to build a memorial somewhere else.
Somewhere where justice is held in higher esteem.
Justice, Mrs.
Randolph? I don't know what your son told you, but would you like to know what he did in Dry Rock five years ago? Would you really like to know the truth? Your version of the truth, Sheriff? Yes.
Your son broke into Mr.
Emory's bank with a gun in his hand while Clay Forrester and another soldier were depositing an army payroll.
He gunned down the other soldier and got away with the money.
Mr.
Emory, Mr.
Peters, and Mr.
Thompson were all in the bank at the time.
They rode with me and the posse that tracked down your son.
And what's more, Mrs.
Randolph, he told Miss Lassiter what he planned to do before he did it.
Now, that's the truth.
How would you like to hear what really happened? My son told me, and my son wouldn't lie, not to me.
Somebody else stole that money.
Somebody else killed that soldier.
My son found the money where it was hidden, and he was in the very act of returning it to you when you apprehended him.
Mrs.
Randolph, why are you doing this? You don't really believe what you've just told us? Why would my son rob a bank, Miss Lassiter? He had all the money he needed at home.
You didn't know your son very well, did you? I did not come here to discuss my son with any I came here to discuss his will.
You mean you came here to bribe us, don't you? Well, my testimony is not for sale, Mrs.
Randolph.
I told the truth.
Your son was as guilty as sin, and nothing can ever change that.
I think Miss Lassiter spoke for all of us, Mrs.
Randolph.
We're decent and honorable people in this town, and we testified to the truth.
Am I to take it then that you are turning down my son's bequest? Yes, ma'am.
Well, let's say that's your privilege.
But I would ask you to consider that perhaps the decision is not yours alone to make.
There are 100 other people in this town.
Do you have a right to deprive them of $2,000 apiece without even asking them? I don't think they'd take to that very kindly, Mr.
Emory, especially when the money would do so much for them.
Pay their debts, put this town back on its feet, buy new machinery, equipment, reopen the mines, make your bank solvent again.
Think about it, dear people.
Think about it real hard.
I'll be in the hotel in case any of you wants to discuss it further.
Honey's right.
It's a bribe and nothing else.
The old lady does have a point, though, Sheriff.
Folks in town ain't gonna like it one bit.
There ain't no place a man can hurt much worse than in his pocketbook.
Come in.
Mrs.
Randolph.
Well Mr.
Forrester.
Have you searched your memory and decided you were mistaken in your testimony against my son? Well, that's what I came to talk to you about, ma'am.
I don't rightly see how I can square it with my conscience.
Let's get this one thing straight, Mr.
Forrester.
I'm offering no bribe.
If you change your testimony, it'll be because you believe my son is innocent.
How can I believe he's innocent? I saw him rob that bank.
You saw a boy who looked like my son, who sounded like my son, but who was not my son.
That's possible, isn't it? Well, I always say anything's possible.
But to get back to my conscience, that soldier was killed by your son by the boy who looked like your son.
Well, he was in my outfit.
I'd feel like I was betraying him.
My son left a bequest to that soldier's family of $4,000.
Does that help clear your conscience? I guess it does, ma'am.
But the others may not feel as clear about it as I do.
Bix Thompson and Mr.
Emory and Floyd Peters they're pretty stubborn about what they think's right.
And that Honey Lassiter Well, you saw how she felt.
I think it's gonna take a lot of heavy persuading to bring these people around.
I'm well aware of that.
I was rather hoping that you might be able to help persuade them.
Me, ma'am? There'd be a bonus of an extra $1,000 in it for you.
Or maybe you don't think you can persuade them.
Well, some people think I can talk a gopher into eating cactus.
I can believe that, too.
Which of the four are you gonna start with? Oh, well, none of them, yet.
The first thing to do is to let the town know that money's waiting for them at the bank.
After that, I Well, I think they'll do most of the work for us.
I like you, Mr.
Forrester.
Let's say you understand me very well.
Mrs.
Beamish.
You're looking so young and pretty, I hardly recognize you.
Why, Clay Forrester, I do declare.
What brings you back to Dry Rock? Well, I want my share of the money just like everybody else.
What money? Well, the $300,000 that Buddy Randolph left this town in his You mean Mr.
Emory hasn't said anything about it? No.
I Oh, I've let the cat out of the bag when I shouldn't have.
Look, Mrs.
Beamish, I want your solemn promise not to tell a living soul what I just said.
Oh, Clay, why, you know you can count on me.
Thank you, ma'am.
I sure hope so.
Forrester.
I want to talk to you.
What's on your mind, Sheriff? The whole town knows about that money.
I checked with all the rest.
They haven't said a word.
That leaves you.
Why, Sheriff, you must've known that story would get out sooner or later.
What with Mrs.
Randolph in town, well, people are bound to ask questions.
So you're the boy with all the answers, aren't you? You want to lock me up for it? I wish I could.
But unfortunately, there's no law against corrupting decent people.
I can't move until the law's been broken.
I'm pretty good about not breaking it.
You taught me how to be, Sheriff.
- What'd you do that for? - Do what? Throw that rock.
Did you hear that, boys? Somebody threw a rock at poor Floyd.
I just knew there'd be trouble with you not giving the town its money, Floyd.
It ain't mine to give.
Where's my glasses? Your glasses? Why, there they are.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Now, ain't that a shame.
Smashed to smithereens.
Hey, what goes on here? Why, somebody threw a rock at poor Floyd here.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was more rocks, this town being riled up the way it is.
All right.
You've had your say, boys.
Now get.
Now, look here, Mr.
Forrester.
- You was one of the holdouts yourself.
- I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a couple of heads cracked open the way I'm riled up.
Now get! Thanks, Clay.
- You got another pair? - Yeah.
In the bank.
I don't know what got into them.
I ain't done no harm to any of them.
Floyd, I was talking to Bix Thompson.
You know what he came up with? Maybe we was wrong about Buddy Randolph.
Maybe, uh Maybe it was a dead ringer for him we saw rob that bank.
Do you think that could be possible? Yeah.
I guess it could be possible.
Good.
Well, good morning, Mrs.
Randolph.
Mr.
Forrester.
Seems to be a bit of trouble at the bank.
So there does.
I guess I'd better look into it.
The bank will be open later.
And I'm telling you for the last time, get back to your homes and your work where you belong.
What about our money? He's got $2,000 of my money in there! When do I get it? The only money you got in there is what you have on deposit, and that ain't much.
He's only one man.
We got a right to take what's ours.
- That's right.
- Let's get it.
Now, I'm warning you.
I'm ready to use this.
Now get moving.
The bank will be open for business in an hour.
Ain't over yet, Sheriff.
Not by a long shot.
Thank you, Sam.
Having trouble, Sheriff? You're doing a good job, Forrester.
Well? You're gonna have to forget about Honey Lassiter, ma'am.
Just settle for the other four of us.
No, sir.
I want all five.
But why? The four of us can swing it.
Let's say I consider Miss Lassiter's testimony as important as anybody else's.
Many ways, more so.
You really want to see her crawl, don't you? I don't think Honey's for sale.
That's foolish thinking.
Everybody has a price.
It's just a question of finding out how high it is.
Honey's price would be high.
A lot higher than $2,000.
Then go higher.
I'd need at least 10,000 in cash.
I rather thought you might.
Let's just call this cactus for the gopher, shall we, Mr.
Forrester? My regards to Miss Lassiter.
I'd almost forgotten what it's like, Clay caring for someone.
Well, don't you ever forget, Honey.
Not for a minute.
In a way, though, I I wish you'd never come back.
Well, why not? Oh, because I could stand this godforsaken town as long as nothing was happening here, and as long as I wasn't hoping or caring or feeling alive.
Honey why don't you leave? You know why.
Money? It'd take a lot more than money.
What are you trying to say? Honey, you and me we hit it off pretty good together, huh? Now, if we was to cut outta here, we could have one whale of a time.
You'd like that, wouldn't you? Sure I'd like that.
Living it up that way costs a lot of money big bundle and we don't have it.
Ah, yes.
But we do.
$10,000.
Where'd you get that? Oh, it's not mine, it's yours.
Mine? The old lady.
She told me to give it to you.
She feels pretty badly about the way Buddy treated you, and she sort of hopes that this will make you feel a little more kindly toward him.
$10,000.
Well, I see what you mean, Clay.
With this 10,000 of mine and the 2,000 you'll be getting, why You will be taking your share? Well, the whole town is, Honey.
There's no point in being the only holdout.
No.
No.
Well, that'd give us $12,000.
Sure could do a lot with that.
Oh, yes, we could.
All right, Clay.
You can tell her she's won.
What are you talking about, Honey? You can tell Ada Randolph that the bribe worked.
Her precious son is innocent.
The last witness has agreed to perjure herself.
Now, wait a minute, Honey Oh, and don't think I won't use this money.
I'll use it to take me just as far away as I can get from this town and from you.
How much extra did she pay you for this job, Clay? Amanda? Yes, Sam? What's going on around here? Somebody giving a party or something? Oh, no.
We're just stocking up on clothes and supplies we've been needing for a long time.
Clothes and supplies takes money.
Where'd it come from? Oh, we ain't paying cash for it.
We're buying on credit.
All we've gotta do is sign a note.
Oh? Well, who's backing your notes? Why, George Emory down at the bank, of course.
For how much? Up to $2,000 apiece.
Hey, I'm looking for a fella named Clay Forrester.
- Know where I might find him? - Sure.
The courthouse across the street.
Whole town's there.
Courthouse? I might've known he'd be in trouble.
Thanks.
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? - I do.
- Sit down, please.
Now, Miss Lassiter, you've heard the testimony of the other four witnesses.
It seems that their eyes were playing them false five years ago.
It wasn't Buddy Randolph they saw hold up the bank and shoot that soldier.
Oh, no.
It was, as they so colorfully put it, a dead ringer for him.
Now, it was your testimony at that time, Miss Lassiter, that Buddy Randolph confided his plans to you in advance and asked your help.
Are you about to tell us that it wasn't Buddy Randolph at all but a dead ringer for him? - No, Your Honor.
- Good.
What is this new testimony you wish to offer? I told the truth, Your Honor, but not the whole truth.
What is the whole truth? Well, when Buddy said what he did about holding up the bank, he was only funning.
He didn't mean it.
And then when I found out that he didn't care for me as much as he pretended, well, I guess I wanted to get even.
But he was only funning, Your Honor.
I see.
A bank is robbed, a man is killed, and Buddy Randolph is only funning.
That is all, Miss Lassiter.
In view of the new testimony that has been offered at this hearing by Mr.
Forrester and the others, I have no choice but to reverse my verdict of five years ago.
I find Buddy Randolph innocent of the crimes of which he was accused and declare that they were committed by a person, or persons, unknown.
Court is adjourned.
Ma'am? Folks was kind of wondering, ma'am, when you'd be releasing the money to them.
I'll release the money the moment that the second condition of my son's will is fulfilled.
I trust you all haven't forgotten about that.
I'm most anxious to start building the memorial to my son on Sheriff Jason's property just as soon as he finds it convenient to relinquish it.
Sam, some of us been talking it over, and we figured if we was to throw in an extra 5,000, well, that's more than twice what your land's worth.
Add that to your 2,000 share of Buddy's money, and you'll be leaving with a nice profit.
George, I'm not leaving.
And I'm not taking any part of that bribe money.
Maybe I can't stop you people from listening to Forrester's weasel tongue, but I've never run out on my job before, and I'm not running out now.
Oh, hello, Wish.
What are you doing in town? Well, we're leaving tomorrow, and I had a few things to get.
Besides, Mr.
Favor wanted to know if you're coming back.
After what I've just seen, I guess I know the answer to that.
What's that supposed to mean? Oh, you're playing for big stakes here.
You got no use for drovers' wages, and I kind of think drovers got no use for you.
Get outta my way, Jed.
You don't seem to understand.
You ain't welcome around here no more, so we're gonna try another way to make you understand.
But first, we're gonna pull your teeth.
- You had enough? - Hold it! Drop that gun.
This ain't your fight, mister.
You just better get moving before I forget I'm a peace-loving man.
If you know what's good for you, you'll get outta town fast.
Much obliged to you.
Like he said, wasn't your fight.
Well, maybe not.
But I know whose fight it should've been.
Is that the way you planned it? No.
This isn't any of my doing.
Isn't it? You set him up for it.
Look, Wish, you don't understand.
Everything I've done for this town, I've done for their own good.
I'm trying to make them all rich.
Them or you? If that sheriff hadn't been so mule-headed, nobody would've gotten hurt, and he'd have cleared out of here with a big profit.
Maybe there isn't a profit big enough to pay for what you want him to sell.
But I guess you wouldn't understand that.
Honey, if I told you I never meant for it to turn out like this, would you believe me? No, Clay, I wouldn't believe a thing you said.
I never figured they'd try to kill a man.
Men like you never figure ahead.
If only there was a way to stop this before it's too late.
- Maybe there is a way to stop it.
- How? The old lady.
It's still her money.
She hasn't released it yet.
All we have to do is get her to call the whole thing off.
She'd never do it.
She might if I talk to her.
It takes a woman to understand a woman, and Maybe I understand Ada Randolph a lot better than you think.
All right.
Let's go.
May I have my bag? I'll be back in a minute, Barney.
I'm accustomed to having visitors knock before they enter my room, Mr.
Forrester.
We're in kind of a hurry, ma'am.
So am I.
As you can see, I expect my business here to be concluded anytime now.
That's what I came to talk to you about.
Our deal's off.
We want you to take your money and get out of town now.
I made an agreement, Mr.
Forrester.
I intend to live up to it.
Was getting the sheriff killed part of that agreement? What brings you here, Miss Lassiter? Or wasn't the 10,000 enough? No.
No, Mrs.
Randolph, it wasn't enough.
In fact, the whole 300,000 wouldn't have been enough.
That's too bad.
And you worked so hard for it.
Yes, I earned it, all right.
I ate dirt just like all the others.
I asked you once before, why is it so important for you to bring this town to its knees? I can't see that that's any of your concern, but I was here to clear my son's name.
That's not the real reason.
Mrs.
Randolph, why did Buddy run away from home? By what right do you say such a thing? I have every right.
Like I told you, me and Buddy were real close once.
You might even say we were in love.
He talked to me about how good it was to find a woman who didn't want nothing from him, who wasn't riding herd on him all the time, driving him, trying to make him what she wanted to be instead of what he wanted to be.
How good it was to find someone who didn't remind him of his ma.
You're a liar! He was my son, and he loved me.
He hated you, Mrs.
Randolph, with every breath he took.
That's what's been eating you alive, isn't it? That's what brought you back here with all that money.
You made Buddy what he was, and whatever he did, you were part to blame.
So now the only way you can live with yourself is by wrecking the town that brought him to justice.
And that's the truth, isn't it? Don't you see, Clay? It wasn't Buddy's good name that she came out here to clear, it was her own conscience.
I didn't know, ma'am.
I was beginning to hate you, and I guess I just feel sorry for you now.
Don't feel sorry for me, Mr.
Forrester, because I've won.
You feel sorry for them.
That's a mob, and they're ready to move.
And there's nothing uglier than a mob on a move.
They can't be stopped.
You tell Mr.
Emory I'll be at the bank when they return, and they can have their money then.
Maybe they won't want it then, ma'am.
You really think you can stop all those people? I can try, ma'am.
I sure can try.
- Everybody with me? - Yeah! There's only one thing to do.
That's go down and take it! I suppose you know half the town's headed this way.
I know.
And they mean business.
They're gonna run you out.
Then why are you here? Well, I figured maybe they'd think twice facing up to three of us instead of just one.
If you want to stay, you'll have to take off that gun belt.
- Take it off? - That's right.
If there's any blood to be spilled, it'll be them, not us.
He's right, Clay.
Well, why aren't you back there with your mob? You led them this far.
Why not all the way? Maybe I don't like the direction they're traveling.
Let's get rid of these guys.
It's about time someone done something about it.
Well, are you three just gonna stand there all alone without guns? Well, you're fools if you do.
Sam, as mayor, I've been asked to speak for the town.
Now, you leave quiet, and there'll be no trouble.
You people are trespassing on private property.
I must ask you to leave.
He's asking us to leave.
Come on.
Let's get it over with.
Now hold on.
What kind of cowards are you? A whole town against one man? All right, Wish.
This is my fight.
I started all this.
I got a right to be heard.
Now, I talked all of you into going along with what the old lady wanted.
- Well, I was wrong.
- You through talking, Forrester? No, I ain't! I lied to Judge Wainwright about Buddy Randolph.
We all lied.
You know we all lied.
You've had your says.
Now, we're asking you for the last time, Sheriff, you gonna leave? This is my home, Jed.
I stay.
Next time, I'll be aiming better.
Hold it! I don't know how far you're willing to go to get this money, but I aim to find out right now.
You're gonna have to kill me before you put another bullet in him.
Is it worth that much to you? Two murders on your conscience? Because he happens to be a friend of mine, you shoot him, you'll have to shoot me.
All right.
The price is going up.
Three murders now! - Four.
- We ain't gonna be talked out of it.
We'll kill whoever we have to kill.
One of you or all four.
Better make that five, Jed.
Six, Jed.
Well, how about it? How far are you willing to go? How many people you willing to kill? Ten, 20, 40? Because sooner or later, you're gonna wind up killing each other just to collect a bribe.
- It's our money.
- No! Now listen.
This has gone far enough.
What's happening to us? We never had much, but at least we had our self-respect.
But now we're turning into murderers just to collect a bribe? Well, not me.
Well, uh, that, uh that wound needs caring for, Sheriff.
It don't hurt one bit, Forrester.
Not one little bit.
I guess there are just some things money can't buy, ma'am.
Joshua.
Will I be seeing you the next time I pass through? I won't be here the next time you pass through.
You're leaving? But you've got no money.
Maybe I found out that money isn't that important.
The next time a coach passes through, you get yourself a ticket on it, will you? Oh, it's clean.
It's my own.
Thought you come to town to collect some money, not give it away.
I don't need any money.
I'm figuring on dying young from eating that cooking of yours for the next three months.
Giddyap.
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 Count 'em out, ride 'em in, ride 'em in, let 'em out Count 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide Rollin', rollin', rollin' Rollin', rollin', rollin' - Hyahl - Rollin' rollin', rollin' Hyahl Rawhide - Hyahl - Rollin', rollin', rollin' Hyahl
Easy, mister.
I'm not carrying a gun.
You tell me what you're doing here, and it better make sense.
I'm looking for a man by the name of Clay Forrester.
I'm Clay Forrester.
What do you want? You were a soldier stationed in the town of Dry Rock five years ago? That's right.
You testified at the trial of Buddy Randolph? Yeah.
What about it? I got $200 for you.
You got $200 for that bug-eared saddle tramp? Yeah.
What'd he do to earn it? He hasn't earned it, yet.
But he can earn it very quickly if he'll ride into Dry Rock with me.
Dry Rock? Why? Who are you? Who sent you? No one you know.
But she's real anxious to meet you.
She'll pay $2,000 for the privilege.
This here's just a down payment.
You want it or not? Well, yeah, I want it, as soon as I find out what I have to do to get it.
Uh, Rowdy, you can spare me for a while, can't you? Yeah, but you sure you're being smart? You could be risking your neck, you know.
Up till now, my neck hasn't been even worth 50 cents.
For $2,000, I'd risk everything that's hooked on to it.
That isn't very much.
Right.
Well, we'll be staying over here a few days to wait for Mr.
Favor.
Be sure you're back when we leave.
Well, uh, let's go, friend.
It's all right, Miss Ada.
He's Clay Forrester.
You're sure he's the right man? Yes, Miss Ada.
You must forgive me, Mr.
Forrester, but I'm carrying rather a large sum of money.
I can't afford to take chances.
My name is Ada Randolph.
I'm Buddy Randolph's mother.
The last I heard of Buddy, he was still in prison.
Five years, ain't it? My son died two weeks ago, Mr.
Forrester.
I brought him back here to have him buried.
Here? Why? Buddy left a will, Mr.
Forrester, and you are one of his heirs.
Me? Oh, well, ma'am, I was with the posse that hunted him down.
Well, it was my testimony that helped send him to prison.
Why would he leave me anything? Let's say he was of a forgiving nature.
And now that you have arrived, all the rest of the people I have to see are right here in Dry Rock.
Joshua, get the box.
I gather you are familiar with this town, Mr.
Forrester.
Well, I was five years ago.
Then perhaps you'd be good enough to see us to the bank.
I wish to make a deposit.
Why, it's Clay Forrester.
Hello, Floyd.
We have some business with Mr.
Emory.
Sure thing.
Right this way.
It's Clay Forrester, Mr.
Emory.
I know.
I heard.
Forrester, how are you? I'd like to have you meet Mrs.
Randolph, Mr.
Emory.
Mrs.
Randolph.
Heard you were in town.
Saw the funeral.
You know, folks is wondering why you brought your son back here to be buried instead of taking him home where he was born.
Let's say somehow it seemed more appropriate to bring him back here, Mr.
Emory.
After all, he was well-known here, wasn't he? Yes.
I wish to open an account and deposit some money.
Yes, ma'am.
Won't you sit down, Mrs.
Randolph? Thank you.
You know it's been a long time since we welcomed a new customer.
Now, how large a sum did you wish to deposit? $300,000.
Well, I'll just fill in the amou In cash.
Show him, Joshua.
You mean to say that you carried all that money with you? It was well hidden, Mr.
Emory.
Mrs.
Randolph, have you any idea what people would do for a fortune like that? Nobody knew I had it.
Besides, it's safe now.
- Well - Can you handle it? Be glad to, ma'am.
Floyd, come over here.
There should be $300,000 in this box.
You check it and put it in the safe.
And you double-check him, Joshua.
Now, is this account to be opened in your name, ma'am? No, sir.
The estate of Buddy Randolph.
The estate of You mean that money's his? That's right, Mr.
Emory.
That money is his.
Oh.
You, uh, planning to settle in Dry Rock, ma'am? No, sir.
I plan to be outta here in three or four days.
Oh, then the deposit's only temporary.
On the contrary.
I have every hope that it'll be permanent.
I would appreciate it very much if you would call a meeting of the town council for this afternoon.
I'll explain then why I've come here.
I'd be glad to, ma'am.
See, there's only three of us.
That's me I'm the mayor and Judge Wainwright and Sheriff Jason.
I would also appreciate having present at that meeting the five witnesses who testified against my son at his trial.
Well, that should be easy.
Let me see.
There's, uh, Clay here, me, my teller Floyd, the town barber, Bix Thompson, and Honey Lassiter.
Honey? Is she still in town? Same old place.
- Shall we say 3:00 this afternoon? - Very good, ma'am.
We usually have our meetings in Judge Wainwright's chambers.
That's the courthouse building just across from the hotel.
I'll be there.
And now, Mr.
Forrester, Joshua will see me back to the hotel.
Goodbye, ma'am.
Forrester.
Well, Sheriff, hello.
I heard you was back in town.
I hoped it wasn't true.
Let's see.
How many times was it you locked me up in that jail of yours? Just as many times as you and your friends got to feeling too good and started shooting up the town.
Aw, we were soldiers, Sheriff.
We had to let off steam somehow.
And somehow I had to maintain law and order.
I'm warning you, Forrester.
I'll still lock up a man if he breaks a law.
By the way, what's your business in Dry Rock? Whatever it is, it's my business.
Remembering you, it's not likely to stay that way for long.
Are you paid to take care of trouble, Sheriff, or are you itching to start some? I see you haven't changed any, Forrester.
How about some service, Honey? Just a minute.
Clay! Clay Forrester! Well, I was hoping you hadn't forgotten me.
Well, it's so good to see you again.
It's so long since we've had a stranger in town.
How you been, Honey? Oh, I'm like this town.
I don't improve with age.
You're wrong.
You look better than ever.
You know, I shouldn't tell you this, Clay, but when the army moved you away from here, I cried for two whole days.
I can't say I blame you.
I always did leave a trail of broken hearts behind me.
Same old Clay.
I'll bet you can still charm a gopher into eating cactus.
Well, that depends on the gopher.
How come you're still in town, Honey? I figured you'd left years ago.
That's what you always wanted, wasn't it? Oh, it takes money to leave.
Maybe I just stopped caring.
After what happened with Buddy Randolph, and, oh, then the mines closing down, the town going bust Well, it was like everybody was in a big pit they just couldn't climb out of.
There must've been some way for you to leave.
Well, I thought about it once with Buddy, but you know what came of that.
No.
When I leave this town, I'm going with my head high, not walking three paces behind some man who thinks he owns me.
Honey, you're telling that to the wrong man.
I never promised I don't mean you, Clay.
You never lied to me.
I'm glad you've come back.
You come alone? Uh, Buddy Randolph's ma sent word she wanted to see me.
What's she here for? Well, we'll find that out this afternoon.
She wants us both at a town meeting at 3:00.
Oh, she does, does she? Well, I won't be there.
Could be important.
What can you lose by coming? You know what I think of Buddy, and I got no love for any of his kin, either.
I'm thinking there'd be no harm in hearing what she has to say.
Besides, it'd be less boring with you sitting next to me.
And after it's over, well, maybe we can go somewhere and sort of, well, get to know each other again.
Mm-hmm.
I was right.
You can still charm a gopher into eating cactus.
Well, she should be here any minute.
Well, didn't she tell you anything further about why she wanted us to meet? Only what I told you, that's all.
But I figure anyone who can deposit $300,000 in my bank is someone worth listening to.
It's only one minute to 3:00, Judge.
Mrs.
Randolph, may I present Miss Lassiter.
Mr.
Forrester you already know.
Mr.
Thompson.
Mr.
Peters you already know.
- Judge Wainwright.
- Good morning.
And Sheriff Jason.
Won't you sit down, Mrs.
Randolph? Sheriff Jason.
My son wrote to me about you.
Mrs.
Randolph, I'm sorry to have to say this, but your son was a troublemaker.
He got in one scrape after another.
Let's say, first of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming.
I shall try to be brief and to the point.
This is my son's will.
As you all know by now, he died in prison two weeks ago.
What you may not know is that he was quite wealthy in his own right.
He left an estate of $300,000, and he bequeathed that entire estate to your fair city, to the town of Dry Rock.
I need hardly point out to you that that means more than $2,000 apiece for every man, woman, and child living here right now.
Well, I don't understand, Mrs.
Randolph.
Why would your son leave anything to this town? Because he had faith in it, Your Honor.
Faith in its devotion to justice, faith in its willingness to right a wrong.
This $300,000, ma'am did he leave it to the town outright, no strings attached? Not quite, Mr.
Forrester.
There are two conditions.
First, that my son's name be cleared, because he was innocent of any wrongdoing.
Second, that the man who hounded and persecuted him, Sheriff Jason here, be expelled from this town, and his property acquired as a final resting place for my son's remains, and that a fitting memorial be established to his memory.
You find this amusing, Miss Lassiter? No, Mrs.
Randolph, I don't.
Quite frankly, it turns my stomach.
I take it, Judge Wainwright, it would not be impossible to reopen my son's case? Not impossible, Mrs.
Randolph, but very difficult.
There would have to be substantial new evidence introduced.
Or perhaps a change of testimony by the witnesses.
We told the truth, ma'am.
There'd be no reason to change our testimony.
What happens to the money, ma'am, if these two conditions aren't met? The money will be used to build a memorial somewhere else.
Somewhere where justice is held in higher esteem.
Justice, Mrs.
Randolph? I don't know what your son told you, but would you like to know what he did in Dry Rock five years ago? Would you really like to know the truth? Your version of the truth, Sheriff? Yes.
Your son broke into Mr.
Emory's bank with a gun in his hand while Clay Forrester and another soldier were depositing an army payroll.
He gunned down the other soldier and got away with the money.
Mr.
Emory, Mr.
Peters, and Mr.
Thompson were all in the bank at the time.
They rode with me and the posse that tracked down your son.
And what's more, Mrs.
Randolph, he told Miss Lassiter what he planned to do before he did it.
Now, that's the truth.
How would you like to hear what really happened? My son told me, and my son wouldn't lie, not to me.
Somebody else stole that money.
Somebody else killed that soldier.
My son found the money where it was hidden, and he was in the very act of returning it to you when you apprehended him.
Mrs.
Randolph, why are you doing this? You don't really believe what you've just told us? Why would my son rob a bank, Miss Lassiter? He had all the money he needed at home.
You didn't know your son very well, did you? I did not come here to discuss my son with any I came here to discuss his will.
You mean you came here to bribe us, don't you? Well, my testimony is not for sale, Mrs.
Randolph.
I told the truth.
Your son was as guilty as sin, and nothing can ever change that.
I think Miss Lassiter spoke for all of us, Mrs.
Randolph.
We're decent and honorable people in this town, and we testified to the truth.
Am I to take it then that you are turning down my son's bequest? Yes, ma'am.
Well, let's say that's your privilege.
But I would ask you to consider that perhaps the decision is not yours alone to make.
There are 100 other people in this town.
Do you have a right to deprive them of $2,000 apiece without even asking them? I don't think they'd take to that very kindly, Mr.
Emory, especially when the money would do so much for them.
Pay their debts, put this town back on its feet, buy new machinery, equipment, reopen the mines, make your bank solvent again.
Think about it, dear people.
Think about it real hard.
I'll be in the hotel in case any of you wants to discuss it further.
Honey's right.
It's a bribe and nothing else.
The old lady does have a point, though, Sheriff.
Folks in town ain't gonna like it one bit.
There ain't no place a man can hurt much worse than in his pocketbook.
Come in.
Mrs.
Randolph.
Well Mr.
Forrester.
Have you searched your memory and decided you were mistaken in your testimony against my son? Well, that's what I came to talk to you about, ma'am.
I don't rightly see how I can square it with my conscience.
Let's get this one thing straight, Mr.
Forrester.
I'm offering no bribe.
If you change your testimony, it'll be because you believe my son is innocent.
How can I believe he's innocent? I saw him rob that bank.
You saw a boy who looked like my son, who sounded like my son, but who was not my son.
That's possible, isn't it? Well, I always say anything's possible.
But to get back to my conscience, that soldier was killed by your son by the boy who looked like your son.
Well, he was in my outfit.
I'd feel like I was betraying him.
My son left a bequest to that soldier's family of $4,000.
Does that help clear your conscience? I guess it does, ma'am.
But the others may not feel as clear about it as I do.
Bix Thompson and Mr.
Emory and Floyd Peters they're pretty stubborn about what they think's right.
And that Honey Lassiter Well, you saw how she felt.
I think it's gonna take a lot of heavy persuading to bring these people around.
I'm well aware of that.
I was rather hoping that you might be able to help persuade them.
Me, ma'am? There'd be a bonus of an extra $1,000 in it for you.
Or maybe you don't think you can persuade them.
Well, some people think I can talk a gopher into eating cactus.
I can believe that, too.
Which of the four are you gonna start with? Oh, well, none of them, yet.
The first thing to do is to let the town know that money's waiting for them at the bank.
After that, I Well, I think they'll do most of the work for us.
I like you, Mr.
Forrester.
Let's say you understand me very well.
Mrs.
Beamish.
You're looking so young and pretty, I hardly recognize you.
Why, Clay Forrester, I do declare.
What brings you back to Dry Rock? Well, I want my share of the money just like everybody else.
What money? Well, the $300,000 that Buddy Randolph left this town in his You mean Mr.
Emory hasn't said anything about it? No.
I Oh, I've let the cat out of the bag when I shouldn't have.
Look, Mrs.
Beamish, I want your solemn promise not to tell a living soul what I just said.
Oh, Clay, why, you know you can count on me.
Thank you, ma'am.
I sure hope so.
Forrester.
I want to talk to you.
What's on your mind, Sheriff? The whole town knows about that money.
I checked with all the rest.
They haven't said a word.
That leaves you.
Why, Sheriff, you must've known that story would get out sooner or later.
What with Mrs.
Randolph in town, well, people are bound to ask questions.
So you're the boy with all the answers, aren't you? You want to lock me up for it? I wish I could.
But unfortunately, there's no law against corrupting decent people.
I can't move until the law's been broken.
I'm pretty good about not breaking it.
You taught me how to be, Sheriff.
- What'd you do that for? - Do what? Throw that rock.
Did you hear that, boys? Somebody threw a rock at poor Floyd.
I just knew there'd be trouble with you not giving the town its money, Floyd.
It ain't mine to give.
Where's my glasses? Your glasses? Why, there they are.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Now, ain't that a shame.
Smashed to smithereens.
Hey, what goes on here? Why, somebody threw a rock at poor Floyd here.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was more rocks, this town being riled up the way it is.
All right.
You've had your say, boys.
Now get.
Now, look here, Mr.
Forrester.
- You was one of the holdouts yourself.
- I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a couple of heads cracked open the way I'm riled up.
Now get! Thanks, Clay.
- You got another pair? - Yeah.
In the bank.
I don't know what got into them.
I ain't done no harm to any of them.
Floyd, I was talking to Bix Thompson.
You know what he came up with? Maybe we was wrong about Buddy Randolph.
Maybe, uh Maybe it was a dead ringer for him we saw rob that bank.
Do you think that could be possible? Yeah.
I guess it could be possible.
Good.
Well, good morning, Mrs.
Randolph.
Mr.
Forrester.
Seems to be a bit of trouble at the bank.
So there does.
I guess I'd better look into it.
The bank will be open later.
And I'm telling you for the last time, get back to your homes and your work where you belong.
What about our money? He's got $2,000 of my money in there! When do I get it? The only money you got in there is what you have on deposit, and that ain't much.
He's only one man.
We got a right to take what's ours.
- That's right.
- Let's get it.
Now, I'm warning you.
I'm ready to use this.
Now get moving.
The bank will be open for business in an hour.
Ain't over yet, Sheriff.
Not by a long shot.
Thank you, Sam.
Having trouble, Sheriff? You're doing a good job, Forrester.
Well? You're gonna have to forget about Honey Lassiter, ma'am.
Just settle for the other four of us.
No, sir.
I want all five.
But why? The four of us can swing it.
Let's say I consider Miss Lassiter's testimony as important as anybody else's.
Many ways, more so.
You really want to see her crawl, don't you? I don't think Honey's for sale.
That's foolish thinking.
Everybody has a price.
It's just a question of finding out how high it is.
Honey's price would be high.
A lot higher than $2,000.
Then go higher.
I'd need at least 10,000 in cash.
I rather thought you might.
Let's just call this cactus for the gopher, shall we, Mr.
Forrester? My regards to Miss Lassiter.
I'd almost forgotten what it's like, Clay caring for someone.
Well, don't you ever forget, Honey.
Not for a minute.
In a way, though, I I wish you'd never come back.
Well, why not? Oh, because I could stand this godforsaken town as long as nothing was happening here, and as long as I wasn't hoping or caring or feeling alive.
Honey why don't you leave? You know why.
Money? It'd take a lot more than money.
What are you trying to say? Honey, you and me we hit it off pretty good together, huh? Now, if we was to cut outta here, we could have one whale of a time.
You'd like that, wouldn't you? Sure I'd like that.
Living it up that way costs a lot of money big bundle and we don't have it.
Ah, yes.
But we do.
$10,000.
Where'd you get that? Oh, it's not mine, it's yours.
Mine? The old lady.
She told me to give it to you.
She feels pretty badly about the way Buddy treated you, and she sort of hopes that this will make you feel a little more kindly toward him.
$10,000.
Well, I see what you mean, Clay.
With this 10,000 of mine and the 2,000 you'll be getting, why You will be taking your share? Well, the whole town is, Honey.
There's no point in being the only holdout.
No.
No.
Well, that'd give us $12,000.
Sure could do a lot with that.
Oh, yes, we could.
All right, Clay.
You can tell her she's won.
What are you talking about, Honey? You can tell Ada Randolph that the bribe worked.
Her precious son is innocent.
The last witness has agreed to perjure herself.
Now, wait a minute, Honey Oh, and don't think I won't use this money.
I'll use it to take me just as far away as I can get from this town and from you.
How much extra did she pay you for this job, Clay? Amanda? Yes, Sam? What's going on around here? Somebody giving a party or something? Oh, no.
We're just stocking up on clothes and supplies we've been needing for a long time.
Clothes and supplies takes money.
Where'd it come from? Oh, we ain't paying cash for it.
We're buying on credit.
All we've gotta do is sign a note.
Oh? Well, who's backing your notes? Why, George Emory down at the bank, of course.
For how much? Up to $2,000 apiece.
Hey, I'm looking for a fella named Clay Forrester.
- Know where I might find him? - Sure.
The courthouse across the street.
Whole town's there.
Courthouse? I might've known he'd be in trouble.
Thanks.
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? - I do.
- Sit down, please.
Now, Miss Lassiter, you've heard the testimony of the other four witnesses.
It seems that their eyes were playing them false five years ago.
It wasn't Buddy Randolph they saw hold up the bank and shoot that soldier.
Oh, no.
It was, as they so colorfully put it, a dead ringer for him.
Now, it was your testimony at that time, Miss Lassiter, that Buddy Randolph confided his plans to you in advance and asked your help.
Are you about to tell us that it wasn't Buddy Randolph at all but a dead ringer for him? - No, Your Honor.
- Good.
What is this new testimony you wish to offer? I told the truth, Your Honor, but not the whole truth.
What is the whole truth? Well, when Buddy said what he did about holding up the bank, he was only funning.
He didn't mean it.
And then when I found out that he didn't care for me as much as he pretended, well, I guess I wanted to get even.
But he was only funning, Your Honor.
I see.
A bank is robbed, a man is killed, and Buddy Randolph is only funning.
That is all, Miss Lassiter.
In view of the new testimony that has been offered at this hearing by Mr.
Forrester and the others, I have no choice but to reverse my verdict of five years ago.
I find Buddy Randolph innocent of the crimes of which he was accused and declare that they were committed by a person, or persons, unknown.
Court is adjourned.
Ma'am? Folks was kind of wondering, ma'am, when you'd be releasing the money to them.
I'll release the money the moment that the second condition of my son's will is fulfilled.
I trust you all haven't forgotten about that.
I'm most anxious to start building the memorial to my son on Sheriff Jason's property just as soon as he finds it convenient to relinquish it.
Sam, some of us been talking it over, and we figured if we was to throw in an extra 5,000, well, that's more than twice what your land's worth.
Add that to your 2,000 share of Buddy's money, and you'll be leaving with a nice profit.
George, I'm not leaving.
And I'm not taking any part of that bribe money.
Maybe I can't stop you people from listening to Forrester's weasel tongue, but I've never run out on my job before, and I'm not running out now.
Oh, hello, Wish.
What are you doing in town? Well, we're leaving tomorrow, and I had a few things to get.
Besides, Mr.
Favor wanted to know if you're coming back.
After what I've just seen, I guess I know the answer to that.
What's that supposed to mean? Oh, you're playing for big stakes here.
You got no use for drovers' wages, and I kind of think drovers got no use for you.
Get outta my way, Jed.
You don't seem to understand.
You ain't welcome around here no more, so we're gonna try another way to make you understand.
But first, we're gonna pull your teeth.
- You had enough? - Hold it! Drop that gun.
This ain't your fight, mister.
You just better get moving before I forget I'm a peace-loving man.
If you know what's good for you, you'll get outta town fast.
Much obliged to you.
Like he said, wasn't your fight.
Well, maybe not.
But I know whose fight it should've been.
Is that the way you planned it? No.
This isn't any of my doing.
Isn't it? You set him up for it.
Look, Wish, you don't understand.
Everything I've done for this town, I've done for their own good.
I'm trying to make them all rich.
Them or you? If that sheriff hadn't been so mule-headed, nobody would've gotten hurt, and he'd have cleared out of here with a big profit.
Maybe there isn't a profit big enough to pay for what you want him to sell.
But I guess you wouldn't understand that.
Honey, if I told you I never meant for it to turn out like this, would you believe me? No, Clay, I wouldn't believe a thing you said.
I never figured they'd try to kill a man.
Men like you never figure ahead.
If only there was a way to stop this before it's too late.
- Maybe there is a way to stop it.
- How? The old lady.
It's still her money.
She hasn't released it yet.
All we have to do is get her to call the whole thing off.
She'd never do it.
She might if I talk to her.
It takes a woman to understand a woman, and Maybe I understand Ada Randolph a lot better than you think.
All right.
Let's go.
May I have my bag? I'll be back in a minute, Barney.
I'm accustomed to having visitors knock before they enter my room, Mr.
Forrester.
We're in kind of a hurry, ma'am.
So am I.
As you can see, I expect my business here to be concluded anytime now.
That's what I came to talk to you about.
Our deal's off.
We want you to take your money and get out of town now.
I made an agreement, Mr.
Forrester.
I intend to live up to it.
Was getting the sheriff killed part of that agreement? What brings you here, Miss Lassiter? Or wasn't the 10,000 enough? No.
No, Mrs.
Randolph, it wasn't enough.
In fact, the whole 300,000 wouldn't have been enough.
That's too bad.
And you worked so hard for it.
Yes, I earned it, all right.
I ate dirt just like all the others.
I asked you once before, why is it so important for you to bring this town to its knees? I can't see that that's any of your concern, but I was here to clear my son's name.
That's not the real reason.
Mrs.
Randolph, why did Buddy run away from home? By what right do you say such a thing? I have every right.
Like I told you, me and Buddy were real close once.
You might even say we were in love.
He talked to me about how good it was to find a woman who didn't want nothing from him, who wasn't riding herd on him all the time, driving him, trying to make him what she wanted to be instead of what he wanted to be.
How good it was to find someone who didn't remind him of his ma.
You're a liar! He was my son, and he loved me.
He hated you, Mrs.
Randolph, with every breath he took.
That's what's been eating you alive, isn't it? That's what brought you back here with all that money.
You made Buddy what he was, and whatever he did, you were part to blame.
So now the only way you can live with yourself is by wrecking the town that brought him to justice.
And that's the truth, isn't it? Don't you see, Clay? It wasn't Buddy's good name that she came out here to clear, it was her own conscience.
I didn't know, ma'am.
I was beginning to hate you, and I guess I just feel sorry for you now.
Don't feel sorry for me, Mr.
Forrester, because I've won.
You feel sorry for them.
That's a mob, and they're ready to move.
And there's nothing uglier than a mob on a move.
They can't be stopped.
You tell Mr.
Emory I'll be at the bank when they return, and they can have their money then.
Maybe they won't want it then, ma'am.
You really think you can stop all those people? I can try, ma'am.
I sure can try.
- Everybody with me? - Yeah! There's only one thing to do.
That's go down and take it! I suppose you know half the town's headed this way.
I know.
And they mean business.
They're gonna run you out.
Then why are you here? Well, I figured maybe they'd think twice facing up to three of us instead of just one.
If you want to stay, you'll have to take off that gun belt.
- Take it off? - That's right.
If there's any blood to be spilled, it'll be them, not us.
He's right, Clay.
Well, why aren't you back there with your mob? You led them this far.
Why not all the way? Maybe I don't like the direction they're traveling.
Let's get rid of these guys.
It's about time someone done something about it.
Well, are you three just gonna stand there all alone without guns? Well, you're fools if you do.
Sam, as mayor, I've been asked to speak for the town.
Now, you leave quiet, and there'll be no trouble.
You people are trespassing on private property.
I must ask you to leave.
He's asking us to leave.
Come on.
Let's get it over with.
Now hold on.
What kind of cowards are you? A whole town against one man? All right, Wish.
This is my fight.
I started all this.
I got a right to be heard.
Now, I talked all of you into going along with what the old lady wanted.
- Well, I was wrong.
- You through talking, Forrester? No, I ain't! I lied to Judge Wainwright about Buddy Randolph.
We all lied.
You know we all lied.
You've had your says.
Now, we're asking you for the last time, Sheriff, you gonna leave? This is my home, Jed.
I stay.
Next time, I'll be aiming better.
Hold it! I don't know how far you're willing to go to get this money, but I aim to find out right now.
You're gonna have to kill me before you put another bullet in him.
Is it worth that much to you? Two murders on your conscience? Because he happens to be a friend of mine, you shoot him, you'll have to shoot me.
All right.
The price is going up.
Three murders now! - Four.
- We ain't gonna be talked out of it.
We'll kill whoever we have to kill.
One of you or all four.
Better make that five, Jed.
Six, Jed.
Well, how about it? How far are you willing to go? How many people you willing to kill? Ten, 20, 40? Because sooner or later, you're gonna wind up killing each other just to collect a bribe.
- It's our money.
- No! Now listen.
This has gone far enough.
What's happening to us? We never had much, but at least we had our self-respect.
But now we're turning into murderers just to collect a bribe? Well, not me.
Well, uh, that, uh that wound needs caring for, Sheriff.
It don't hurt one bit, Forrester.
Not one little bit.
I guess there are just some things money can't buy, ma'am.
Joshua.
Will I be seeing you the next time I pass through? I won't be here the next time you pass through.
You're leaving? But you've got no money.
Maybe I found out that money isn't that important.
The next time a coach passes through, you get yourself a ticket on it, will you? Oh, it's clean.
It's my own.
Thought you come to town to collect some money, not give it away.
I don't need any money.
I'm figuring on dying young from eating that cooking of yours for the next three months.
Giddyap.
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 Count 'em out, ride 'em in, ride 'em in, let 'em out Count 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide Rollin', rollin', rollin' Rollin', rollin', rollin' - Hyahl - Rollin' rollin', rollin' Hyahl Rawhide - Hyahl - Rollin', rollin', rollin' Hyahl