01x22 - Rope of Steel

[bunniefuu]

Don't you fret, Mary.

He won't get
away with this.

There it is.
Now leave us be.

Just drag it
over to that light, old man.

Took us many a year
to save this,

but if it will rid us of you,
you're welcome to it.

Well, you didn't figure
I was just gonna

ride off now, did you?

Be a mite loco
to leave you two

around to help
the law catch up to me.

Give me the key.

[ crackling ]

[ wagon approaching ]

Dell!

Mary!

[ g*nshots ]

Dell!

Dell.

I better get you
to Doc Huber's, Dell.

I'll get my wagon, Dell.

Dell.

Oh!
Whoa!

Get the sheriff!

[ indistinct chatter ]

He was still alive
when we started, doc.

What happened?

Well, I couldn't
sleep last night, sheriff.

So I figured I'd get an early
start on the chores.

I was driving past
Dell Layton's place
just before dawn.

And I heard some shots.

I figured Dell was out
after that three-toed wolf's

been k*lling
everybody's chickens.

I thought I'd drive in there
and give him a hand.

There was nobody around.

Couldn't raise nobody up
when I hollered to 'em.

All of a sudden
somebody cut loose on me
from inside the barn.

Who was it?

I wish I could tell you.

I got off two shots at him,

then he come tearing
out of there real fast.

I got off one more shot at him
before he got out of range.

Then I went inside the barn,
found Dell and Mary.

How about it, doc?

Don't look so good, sheriff.

You're gonna be
around some, Jonesy?

I can be.

- I can use some help.
- Sure thing.

- Get him inside.
- Sure.

All right, boys.

Easy.

This is a fine way
to start a morning.

Why would anyone want to do
that to the Laytons?

The nicest folks you could
ever hope to know.

Mace, if you saw him again,
would you know him?

I reckon.
He was riding out
real fast though.

Sort of
runched over like.

Well, I'm forming a posse.

Slim, Will, Bowden,

anybody else
who can come along,

mount up and meet me
in front of my office.

Mace, we'll need your help.

You can use
one of my horses.

I'll get you a six g*n.

- Sheriff--
- Tell him later.

I just remembered
something.

The longer we wait,
the further he's getting away.

Slim.

What do you think?

Looks like he doubled back.

This hombre's either lost
or he's trying to get us
going in circles.

He's headed right into
Bartlett Canyon.

Good.
That will slow him down.

If I stick to the ridge,
I might be able to get

to the other end
before he does.

That might be
worth trying.

We'll go on through
in case he holds up in there.

Now keep your eyes open.

Hold it, mister!
I want to talk to you.

What's the matter with you?
I ain't done nothing.

Not since you left
the Layton place this morning.

The Layton place?
Never heard of it.

Well, you will.

The folks in Laramie
like the Laytons real well.

Look,
I'm just passing through.

I don't know
what you're talking about.

Well, we got a witness,
a fellow by

the name of Mace Stringer.

Saw you ride off.

You took some shots at him,
remember?

Look, I got me
a lawyer in Cheyenne.

We'll see just how good
a look your witness got.

It wouldn't take much
of a look to put

a rope around your neck.

Why were you
doubling back anyway?

I'll do my talking
when the time comes.

Sit down!

What are we waiting for?

The sheriff
and the posse.

Your plans
have been changed.

You're not just passing
through, not anymore.

If Dell Layton dies,
we ought to string up

that no-good bushwhacker.

He's in jail
where he belongs, Charlie.

The law will take care
of the rest.

Did the sheriff
get anything more out of him?

Nothing.
He says his name's Tully.

Keeps wanting to get in touch
with the lawyer up in Cheyenne.

Won't say nothing else.

He is the one,
ain't he, Mace?

He sure looks
like it to me.

Same horse,
same clothes.

Of course, like I said,
I didn't get a real good
look at his face.

Dell been
able to talk any, Slim?

No, he's still unconscious,
according to Jonesy.

He's been up
helping the doc.

I don't know.

I've always been for the law
doing the hanging.

This time they might need
a little help.

Whether Dell dies or not,
he still m*rder*d Mrs. Layton.

And some smart lawyer
might get him off.

I don't like to think of a man
like him going free.

Let the sheriff handle it,
Charlie.

That's what he's paid to do.

It'd pain me plenty inside
to see that dr*fter swing.

How can you have
any feeling for someone

who's an out
and out k*ller?

No matter what a man does,
he has a right for a fair trial.

And we don't know exactly
what happened out there.

We don't?

How much more
do you want to know?

Two fine people
shot down in cold blood.

Yeah, shot down in their barn,
but why there?

What was he after?
And something else.

Why did he double back
on us?

That's what I wanted
to tell the sh--

The k*ller was lost, Slim.
He told us that.

And it makes
no difference to me

whether he shot him down
in a barn or in a house.

Mary is just as dead
and Dell's just as bad off.

Let's have a drink.

Guess I can't blame him.

I better tell the sheriff.

He's liable
to have his hands full.

You think
they'll go after Tully?

If Dell dies and they have
a few drinks in them,

they just might try.

Oh, good afternoon,
Miss Sally.

Miss Sally, I sure would like
to talk to you.

You got a minute?

Oh,
now ain't this my lucky day?

I don't get no chance
to see you at night.

You're dealing
blackjack
all evening.

You want to talk,
just get in the game.

You'll hear plenty.

I ain't no gambler, ma'am.

I ain't got
nothing to gamble with.

You and about every other man
in this two-bit town.

Now you take San Francisco,

that's a real place.

Ladies all dressed up,
gents driving fancy carriages.

I bet there's more money there
than you could ever count.

You wouldn't want to go there,
would you?

What about us?

Us?

I did help you out
when you got stranded here.

I thought--

You thought what?

That I'd go on
being grateful to you?

Listen, Mace, your ticket
on that line has run out.

We're quits and you might
as well get used to it.

San Francisco
is the place for me.

You ain't really thinking
of leaving Laramie, are you?

I sure am.

I want to be
where something's happening.

Something exciting
every minute.

Something sure
was happening here today.

You mean the Laytons?

Yeah.
I found him.

I helped bring in the k*ller.

Bully for you.

What did it get you?

New wheel for that moth-eaten
wagon you're so proud of?

Didn't get me nothing
I reckon.

When you come up with
some reward money, Mace,

or hit a gold strike,
then I might listen to you.

I might even forget
what you look like.

Sally, if I was to be able
to take you up to San Francisco,

would you go with me?

Why, sure, Mace.

You can push me up there
in your wheel barrow.

Where would you
get that kind of money?

But like I said, Mace,
you get it,

then we'll talk.

Mace.

You still got ideas
about Sally?

She ain't interested
in the likes of me.

Maybe you're lucky.

Anyway the sheriff's
got a job for you and me to do.

- Job?
- He wants to stop trouble
before it starts.

He's deputizing us to help him
get Tully into Cheyenne.

Me?

You were in on this
from the beginning

He figures
he can count on you.

More than he can say
about most men in town.

Well, I'll sure help.

I don't know
how much good I'll be.

You'll do.
He's waiting in his office.

Mount up, Mace.

You might as well have
strung a rope around his neck.

You saw him.
He was trying to get away.

Right in the middle of town?

He didn't have the guts
and you know it.

If he'd have made it
to open country,

he'd have gone scot-free.

Or that lawyer from Cheyenne
might have got him off.

We just made sure he got
what was coming to him.

You got a different idea
of justice than I have.

No use arguing now,
he's dead.

They committed m*rder,
sheriff,

just like he did.

More than
a dozen slugs in him, Slim.

I can't arrest
the whole town.

Can't you see, Slim,
we just did what had to be done?

We couldn't
let that k*ller get away.

You better forget it, Slim.

I'll just report him
shot while trying to escape.

Shouldn't that be
"lynched by a rope of steel"?

It may not be
the whole truth.

It's the only part
we can live with.

This is the day
you're gonna remember...

all of you, for a long time.

Sheriff, Dell Layton came to.
He wants to talk to you.

And doc says
you better hurry.

You've been the judge,
the jury and the hangman.

You might as well be
the undertaker.

He wants to talk to you,
too, Slim,

on account of how close
he was to your pa.

All this sh**ting
go into him?

Well, doc and I heard it, but
we didn't want to leave Dell.

Dell gonna be all right?

Doc doesn't think so.
Lost too much blood.

I still say
we was right.

His miserable life for
two fine ones ain't enough.

But he'd have died
slower on a rope,

even a legal one.

He's awfully weak.
Don't be long.

Oh, I told him
about Mary.

Dell, we got the k*ller.

I know it
don't do much good now,

but we want you
to know that...

he's been taken care of.

Good.

Glad you got
the money back.

Me and Mary,
we saved all our lives,

kept it in a strong box
in the barn.

He was gonna k*ll Mary
unless I gave it to him.

k*lled her anyhow.

Me and Mary,
we've got no close kin.

There was more than
$9,000 in that strong box.

I want it
all to go to Laramie.

Let the folks decide
what to do with it.

A new schoolhouse maybe.

Or one of them new
fire engines.

Slim, Sheriff, see to it,
will you, please?

Sure, Dell.

That bushwhacker
didn't have any money

when you took him,
did he?

Now where is it, sheriff?

Tully was the only one
who could answer that.

Dell's gone
into a coma.

There's not much more
I can do.

Any chance of him
coming around?

Not likely.
All we can do is wait now.

Well?

Nothing's changed.
Dell's just hanging on.

Slim and the sheriff
still in there?

Yeah.
Jonesy too.

They was awful quiet
and they looked at me like

I was lower
than a lizard's belly.

What we did was for
Dell and Mary Layton.

That's the thanks
we get for it.

Well, we ain't got nothing
to be ashamed of.

The fact is we saved
the territory time and money,

by them not having
to hold a trial for a k*ller.

Don't look like you got
much business tonight,
Miss Sally.

Give men a k*lling,
he'll forget about gambling,

women and everything else.

Not me, I don't.
I'm on the side of the law.

I tried to stop the k*ller.

You're gonna wear
that badge all the time?

I ain't decided.

I ain't seen
the sheriff to turn it in.

And you keep the g*n,
too, huh?

I might.

Seems like
it kind of suits me.

Well, don't sh**t
your toes off.

That ain't funny.

Oh.

I just meant not too many
foreman men wear

six g*ns in Laramie, Mace.

I ain't no foreman man.
I ain't staying in Laramie.

Moving way
over to Cheyenne, huh?

I ain't moving to Cheyenne.
I'm heading to San Francisco.

And I'm traveling
first class.

That takes money.

I got it.
Enough for two.

I'm selling my farm, Sally.

A fella
over in Cheyenne's buying it.

I'm riding over there
tomorrow to collect.

I bet.

You get a good price,
Mace?

I did, top money.

He liked the way
I built it up.

I'm doing it for you, Sally.

We could be happy.

Wherever you want to go.

Just getting out of here
would make me happy.

You mean, you will?

Well,
I'll sure think about it.

Let's wait and see
how your deal comes out.

That's good enough
word for me.

Don't you worry
none about that deal.

Dell Layton just died.

Doc did all he could.

Poor old Dell.

He lived a hard life
and he died a hard death.

He did a lot of good
in his time.

He's still done good,
Charlie.

Mary and Dell didn't have
any relatives,

so he left the money
to his friends in Laramie,

for the town.

Ain't that just like Dell?

It was $9,000
in the savings.



They had it in a strong box.

Tully forced him
to hand it over to him

before he shot him.

Where is it now?

Why don't you ask Tully?

I knew you'd regret it,
Charlie,

but I didn't think
it'd come this soon

or hit you where it hurts.

Right in your pocketbook.

It looks like Tully rode off
with the money and hid it

before Slim could find him.

Mace, I know you didn't get
a real good look at him,

but could you see
if he carried anything.

That's what's been
worrying me, sheriff.

He was kind of bent over
his saddle like

when he come
riding out of the barn.

Of course I thought
he was just trying to ride low.

But it could have been
that he was hanging on

to something on the
other side of his horse.

Anything like
a strong box?

Could have been.
Yep, must have been.

Course, I was taking
a shot at him at the time.

But when he got out of range,
he straightened up.

And I thought I saw him
haul a kind of a box

like, up on the saddle.

I guess me seeing them
two poor old folks made me

clean forget it.

I don't blame
you for that, Mace.

We don't need
to give up yet.

I'm asking all you men
to meet in my office

after sun-up
tomorrow morning.

We'll take
a search posse out

and cover the same ground
the k*ller did.

I bet you we find it,
sheriff.

He didn't have time enough
to hide it very good.

Trying to make yourself
feel better, Charlie?

That's enough of that.
What's done is done.

You all ought
to turn in.

You staying in town tonight,
Slim?

Yeah, Jonesy
and I'll be at the hotel.

I want to get a real early
start tomorrow.

Mace, I want to thank you.
You've been a real big help.

I just done
what I could, sheriff.

Guess you want this back now.

No, you keep
that for tomorrow.

I want you to help me
run that search.

Sure thing.

You can count on me.

Looks like I'm still the deputy,
don't it?

Yeah.

Which kind of cuts out
your business deal, doesn't it?

Well, that don't make
no difference.

I can take care
of that tonight.

You're gonna ride all the way
to Cheyenne tonight?

Well, he don't live
right in Cheyenne.

He's got a place up
that way.

Besides, I wouldn't care
if I did ride all night

if it was for you.

Well, don't do it just for me,
Mace.

I mean, ride all night.

I can wait.

Maybe you can...

but I can't.

You know, there's so much
country out there,

it'd take us 10 years
to cover it all.

Seems to me we've already
spent five of them.

Money's got to be
out there somewhere.

It sure ain't in
that house or barn.

It's out there.

We just missed it,
that's all.

Tully didn't have time
to hide it too good.

Yeah, you can hide most anything
in Bartlett Canyon.

Looks to me like...

No, that couldn't be it.

Well, come on, Mace.

You got some ideas,
we can sure use them.

Well...

I was thinking maybe it ain't
in the canyon at all.

I didn't get a real good look
at that strong box,

when he come
riding out like I said.

What are you getting at?

Well, I ain't saying
you're wrong, Slim,

but are you dead
certain that he didn't have

that box with him
when you first seen him?

Not as far as I know,
Mace, he didn't have it.

Unless he had it tied
on the horse or he dropped it

before I downed him.

Well, I was thinking
of the way he fooled me.

And since we didn't look
very hard out yonder

where you and him fought,

'cause you said
he didn't have no box on him.

Well, looks to me like
that's about as good a place

as any for us
to get started all over again.

Well, we sure
won't find it sitting here.

We'll comb
that ground close,

that's the only chance
we got left.

All right, mount up!

Hey!
Over here!

Looks like somebody
found it before we did.

How could they?
There ain't been time.

There was last night.

If somebody knew
that chest was out here,

he could have cleaned it out
during the night

and hid the money.

Keep talking, Charlie.

Now that's just
what I'm gonna do

because I'm getting a little bit
tired of being made out a fool

by you or anybody else.

Charlie, you ain't trying to say
that Slim took the money?

Who was the last one
that was with the k*ller alone?

Well, Slim, I guess,
but he...

Now we was a long time
coming through that canyon.

And Slim had plenty of time
to make a deal with the k*ller.

What kind of a deal, Charlie?

You keep the money
for helping him get away.

You was the one
that talked the sheriff

into moving him
over to Cheyenne

and you was probably going along
to help him make the break.

If you'd have said that
at any other time, Charlie,

I'd have torn you apart.
And I still might.

This hasn't been
easy on any of us.

And it wouldn't have
happened this way

if you and the other boys
hadn't k*lled Tully.

And now you're trying
to put the blame

on somebody else.

You don't see him proving
what I said was wrong, do you?

Because
he can't prove it!

You was alone out here
with the k*ller.

I wasn't alone.

I was in the hotel room
with Jonesy

until the posse rode out
this morning.

Jonesy?

He'd lie for you
on his deathbed.

He was probably
in on it with you, too.

Put it up, Bowden.

Looks like I hit a tender spot
on Mr. Sherman.

Him that was
so clean and pure like.

Well, maybe we did give a k*ller
what was coming to him.

But we sure didn't steal
an old man's savings.

That's enough, Bowden.

No, it ain't.

I figure we're looking
in the wrong place.

All right,

all of you fellas that think
we ought to go over

and take a look
at Slim's ranch,

come over
and stand behind me.

Any searching's gonna be done
I'll look after it. I...

What's the matter, Will?

You're afraid
we'll find something

we oughtn't at Slim's place?

No, it ain't that at all.

What is it then?

Mace?

I'm still gonna stick
with the man

who had given me this badge.

I ain't got no warrant.

And I ain't forcing Slim
to let us search his place.

I'll hand in my badge first.

No need for that, sheriff.
I got nothing to hide.

I guess this is the only way
I can prove it to him.

Well, this beats all.

Why did you let them do it,
Slim?

I don't know, Jonesy.

I'm just not used to being
accused of something like this.

It kind of knocks
the wind out of you.

But this is the only way
I could have showed them.

And to think I was mad
at Andy and Jess

for skipping off
and leaving me to do the work.

I'm glad
they're not here now.

Why, that Jess would have
ventilated him real quick.

All right, boys,
head back to town.

Well, there ain't much to say,
Slim.

I tried to tell them
they wouldn't find anything.

Sorry for the trouble
we caused you.

It wasn't your fault.

They still think
we got the money.

It's written
all over them.

Let's head back to town, Mace,
before it gets dark.

Well, I'll ride a piece
with you, sheriff,

but I got my own place
to look after.

Sure sorry, Slim,
I didn't mean to stir up
a nest of rattlers for you.

Forget it.

They'll forget it in time.

Maybe so, but I won't.

Take it out on these.

They can stand
a lot of fighting.

I was thinking you maybe
changed your mind
about coming.

I almost did.

This place isn't easy to find

and it ain't much
after you get here.

You kind of dress it up,
Sal.

Even smells better.

No worse than
a hog bed, you mean.

I know that letter I left
at the hotel

would bring you here.

The $100 in the envelope
had more to do with it
than the letter.

Money sure does talk to you,
don't it, Sally?

It says nicer things to me
than any man could.

Your letter said
you'd show me the rest of it.

I might.

See you brought that horse
and buggy like I told you.

Best rig in town.

Where are you going, Mace?

Now, Miss Sally, you mean,
where are we going?

I never saw a g*n
change a man so.

You just never
got to know me,

not like I am now.

Beginning to think you were
better the other way.

I'll show you something
that makes you

change your mind about that.

You'll feel different about me
when you see

what I got here.

Told you I'd get it.

I figure this will buy us
all we want in San Francisco.

Come on,
come look at it.

Go on, touch it.

Got a good feel,
ain't it?

Underneath your little fingers
more than $9,000.



That's right,
for you and me.

Where did you
get it, Mace?

Maybe you'd rather
not tell me.

Like I told you,
I sold my farm.

You got $9,000
for this place?

Don't make me laugh.

I sure did.

For the land mostly.

They found
a trace of silver on it.

Silver, my foot.
Mace, you're lying.



Well, that's what old man
Layton left the town.

So what if it is?
I didn't steal it, I found it.

Besides, everybody thinks
Slim Sherman's

got it hid somewheres.

Oh, no, Mace.
I don't want any part of it.

That's the town's money now,
not yours.

I ain't going
nowhere with you.

You stay!

Mace, no.

I wouldn't hurt you
none, Sally.

That might
spoil our plans.

We're gonna take a little trip
together, ain't we?

No, I can't go.

Oh!

We're leaving tonight.

And we're gonna be
together for a long time,

so you might
as well get used to it.

Well, the next time
you go roaming around

the middle of the night,
tell me about it.

I thought I heard something.

Oh, I did hear
something, you.

You figured that
some of our friends from town

were still looking
for that Layton money, huh?

I don't know, Jonesy.

Well, this isn't the first time
that an innocent man

has been
accused of doing wrong.

So why keep sweating it?

The money,
that'll clear up everything.

I'd almost swear
that Tully wasn't carrying

that strong box
when I saw him.

He was just riding along going
somewheres like he knew.

Jonesy, Tully
wasn't lost.

He was heading back
for the Laytons.

Why would he do that?

It doesn't make sense to us,
but it did to Tully.

He must have been
going back for something.

And that could have been
only one thing...

the money.

Yeah, but Mace said that
Tully took the money with him.

Mace didn't say
anything about it

until after Tully was shot.

As a matter of fact,
he didn't even mention it

till after Dell died
and we heard about the money.

And he knew where the
strong box was all the time.

Maybe.

He tried to tell
the sheriff something,

but he didn't get to.

Tully was k*lled.

Mace could have spooked
his horse real easy.

He knew what would happen
to that bushwhacker

if he tried to get away.

Do you think that
chowderhead planned
the whole thing?

No, I don't think
he planned it.

I think things just happened
right for him

and he went
along with it.

Come to think of it,
that six sh**ter

he was wearing did seem
to make him about a foot taller.

It was Mace that got
the search party

to head back where I caught up
with Tully.

He must have planted
the strong box there last night,

then made real sure
that we found it.

Why,
that dirty double dealer!

Now where are you going?

To pay a visit
to Mace Stringer.

Oh, wait till morning.

It's way after midnight
and there's nothing

but trouble out there.

Then I won't have
to look for it.

[ horse approaching ]

Get back there.

Hey, Mace!

Mace Stringer,
I want to talk to you.

It's me Sherman.
Open up, Mace.

[ horse whinnies ]

Get down.

And no noise.

All right, Stringer,
open up!

I know you're in there.

[ g*nshots ]

Sally.

Sally, you hear me?

Answer me.

Yes.

Light the lamp.

He's dead or he'd be
sh**ting by now.

I said get up
and light the lamp.

I said light the lamp!

Do it yourself!

You all right?

He was sh**ting at me.

I don't know.

I guess he had a right to.

I was gonna ask him
some questions.

Maybe you got the answers.

Slim...

I've got
something to say.

It seems I had
a pretty quick tongue

before when I was
suspicionin' you.

But now the words
don't come so easy.

I was as wrong
as a man could be

by thinking
that you'd take something

that wasn't yours.

And for sh**ting down
that k*ller

and for fighting
with you and for...

You name it and I did it.

I'm mighty sorry, Slim.

Me too.

I'm trying to stay mad
at the bunch of you.

But you're not making it
very easy.

Charlie.

Folks in town voted
you trustee of the money, Slim.

You can handle it
any way you want.

Charlie, you're not much
of a storekeeper.

How's that?

You let one apple purt near
spoil the whole barrel.

Yeah, I sure did.

Hey, talking about apples,
how about some cider?

Set out, cups and all.

I figured you couldn't stay
mad very long.