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HERE'S SOMETHING I FOUND BY THE UPRIGHT.
JUST OUTSIDE THE MINE SHAFT ENTRANCE.
.50 CALIBER SLUG.
FROM A BUFFALO RIFLE.
FIRST SHOT WAS AIMED AT YOU.
DID YA THINK I WAS MAKING IT UP?
WHAT WE'VE GOT IS THAT OLD SHOTGUN.
WE AIN'T GOT NO RIFLE AT ALL.
WELL, SOMEBODY HAS.
ALL RIGHT...
LOOK...
ME AND BRAUS HAVE BEEN PARTNERS FOR 10, 12 YEARS.
THIS IS OUR FIRST REAL PAYING CLAIM.
EVERYTHING WAS ALL RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING.
THEN I CAUGHT HIM SALTING AWAY DUST AND NOT...
STOP IT!
NOW JUST TELL ME WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
ALL RIGHT, LET ME FINISH TELLING IT.
AFTER HE LIED ABOUT ME STEALING, THINGS GOT WORSE AND WORSE.
WE'D GO INTO COPPER CITY, GET LIQUORED UP, AND START FIGHTING.
WHAT?
THAT'S HOW WE GOT INTO TROUBLE.
WE ACCIDENTALLY HIT A BARTENDER IN THE LEG.
AFTER THAT, THE CIRCUIT JUDGE GAVE THE SHERIFF AN ORDER,
MAKING US KEEP THE PEACE, OR ELSE.
IF ONE OF US IS FOUND DEAD, THE OTHER ONE GETS HUNG.
THOSE TOWNSPEOPLE LIKE TO SEE US STRUNG UP.
GENTLEMEN, IT'S VERY FUNNY...
EXCEPT FOR ONE THING.
YOU TWO HAVE MADE YOURSELVES A PERFECT TARGET FOR ***.
WHOEVER FIRED THAT BULLET, KNOWS THAT IF ONE OF YOU IS KILLED,
THE OTHER ONE IS HUNG. YOU SAID SO YOURSELVES.
THE MINE WILL BE HERE JUST FOR THE TAKING.
YOU ALWAYS TALK TOO MUCH, TALBOT.
LIKE THIS AFTERNOON IN FRONT OF PALADIN HERE.
AND LIKE THIS MORNING.
NOW I PLUM FORGOT ABOUT THEM.
NOW WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
OLD MAN MARTIN, AND HIS SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.
THEY COME BY ON THE TRAIL THIS MORNING.
SAID THEY WAS TAKING OVER THE OLD PARKER DIGGING ABOUT FOUR MILES NORTH OF HERE.
THEY ACTED MIGHTY SUSPICIOUS TOO. KEPT LOOKING AROUND ALL THE TIME,
YEAH.
THEY EVEN TOOK A LOOK AT OUR SLEUCE.
THAT'S RIGHT.
WELL, THEY LEARNED ENOUGH FROM "OLD LOOSE-MOUTH" HERE.
ANSWERING SUGAR-SWEET EVERY BIG-EYED QUESTION THAT LITTLE GAL PUT TO HIM.
YES, SIR!
THAT'S THE ONLY ANSWER.
WOULD THEY KNOW ABOUT THE COURT'S ORDER?
THEY'RE FROM COPPER CITY, EVERYBODY THERE KNOWS IT.
NOW WAIT A MINUTE! YOU'RE JUST GUESSING, YOU DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW THIS...
THEY HAD A LOT OF JUNK IN THE BACK OF THAT WAGON,
INCLUDING A RIFLE. A BUFFALO GUN.
NOW YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO ME, MR. PALADIN.
YOU AIN'T GOT A RIFLE, AND WE AIN'T GOT A RIFLE,
BUT THEY GOT A RIFLE. WHO DONE THE SHOOTING?
HEY, WHAT'S THE IDEA?
I'M TRYING TO PREVENT A POSSIBLE MISTAKE.
I'LL ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT,
PROVIDED YOU MAKE THE FEE $500 DOLLARS IN GOLD.
ALL RIGHT, I THINK YOU TWO OLD PARTNERS WILL BE SAFE HERE TOGETHER
WHILE I RIDE UP AND TRY AND TALK TO THESE PEOPLE.
SO FAR, NOBODY'S BEEN KILLED.
LET'S TRY AND KEEP IT THAT WAY, EH?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR, MISTER?
POSSIBLY.
JOE, DAD!
HE'S BEEN NOSING AROUND.
[ JOE: ] WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, MISTER?
THAT GUN ISN'T REALLY NECESSARY, COULD YOU POINT THAT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION WHILE WE TALK?
PLEASE?
THANK YOU. NOW, WHY AM I HERE?
BECAUSE SOMEONE TRIED TO GUN DOWN YOUR NEIGHBOR, BRAUS.
FORTUNATELY FOR HIM, THEY MISSED.
BRAUS? WHAT'S HE GOT TO DO WITH US ANYWAY?
HE THINKS ONE OF YOU DID THE SHOOTING.
IF I HAD DONE ANY SHOOTING, I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED.
WHAT ARE YOU PESTERING US FOR?
BRAUS WAS ON HIS WAY HERE HIMSELF, WITH A SHOTGUN.
I PREVAILED UPON HIM TO LET ME COME INSTEAD.
WELL, YOU JUST PREVAIL YOURSELF RIGHT BACK TO MR. BRAUS.
TELL HIM ANYTIME HE WANTS TO COME LOOKING FOR TROUBLE,
THAT'S ENOUGH, JOE.
LOOK...
WE DON'T WANT NO TROUBLE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN COMING HERE AND QUESTIONING US ANYWAY?
GET OUT, LEAVE US ALONE.
I'M TRYING TO PREVENT TROUBLE, NOT CAUSE IT.
I GOT NOTHING MORE TO SAY.
NOBODY'S BEEN HURT YET, AND I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
BUT IF YOU WON'T COOPERATE, I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO THE AUTHORITIES.
ATTEMPTED *** IS A SERIOUS CRIME, EVEN OUT HERE.
JOE'S MY BOY... HOTHEADED LIKE MOST YOUNGSTERS.
GOT IN A SCRAPE IN COPPER CITY, WOUNDED A MAN.
GOT SOME MONEY TO PAY BACK.
ME AND AMY GOT HIM TO COME OUT HERE.
PRETTY POOR DIGGINGS, BUT WE WAS HOPING TO TAKE OUT ENOUGH TO SQUARE JOE,
DON'T YOU HAVE A RIFFLE?
WE AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO HIDE.
AMY!
BRING ME JOE'S RIFLE.
IT AIN'T HERE.
I AIN'T MUCH FOR FOOLIN' RIGHT NOW, AMY. FETCH IT!
WHERE IS IT?
I HID IT.
YES, I HID IT.
GUNS HAVE BROUGHT JOE AND ME NOTHING BUT TROUBLE EVER SINCE WE'VE BEEN MARRIED.
SO I TOOK IT, AND THREW IT DOWN AN OLD MINE SHAFT,
AMY!
WHAT MINE SHAFT?
I DON'T REMEMBER.
DO YOU HEAR, I DON'T REMEMBER!
MISTER...
NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS TO YOU, I KNOW JOE.
DRY-GULCHING A MAN JUST AIN'T HIS STYLE.
STYLES CHANGE, EVEN IN ***.