04x04 - The Allison Justis Story

[bunniefuu]

Point.

I don't give a go, John.

And you do it.

Just listen to what I tell you and do it.

Then we wouldn't have any more.

Go dark.

Well, I'll be

okay.

Looks like our handsome, dashing

young scout here is going to pay a visit
to the young ladies of Boone's Center.

Well, I hate to damage my reputation
with the manager,

but I'm paying this visit
because their parents asked me to.

Now, what kind of parents would.

Do a thing like that
to a young, innocent girl?

What kind of folks is she got, anyway?

Well, I've known her since I was a kid.

She got married about the day
she got out of high school.

Besides, our relationship was more like
brother and sister anyway, so. See,

that's of up to

is. Then what's.

What becomes of horseshoes.

You know, they end up with a b*llet
in their belly or hanging by a rope.

Kind of a foolish trick trying
to steal a horse this time of night.

People still up and around.

Sure ain't dressed like a horse thief
anyway.

Charlie, how are you going to tell
by a man's cause what's inside of them?

You know, Major, I don't think he had
much experience stealing horses.

If he had it, he wouldn't
been running off that way

just to let him off
and people wouldn't notice him.

It's a matter of common

loose justice.

And they mean anything to.

The girl I was going to visit.

What?

I've just k*lled her husband.

No one should listen to me.

Why don't you let me send one of the boys
to do this?

Thanks, but under the circumstances, it's
my responsibility.

Listen to me, would you?

You know as well as I do that a horse sees
the law as kind of a manner. Is

your friend His wife knew this about him.

Surely she.

She must know the kind of risk
he was taking.

That's not going to make it any easier
to tell her the.

Son of a.

Bright friend is his horse.

Camera shot

George
going to take him down to the docks?

These things are on the.

Did you know him?

I don't think there's anybody in
Boone Center that didn't know the mayor.

Is the mayor of this town.

Three times elected

to you.

My name is Clint McCullough.

I ride Scoundrel, a wagon train that's
camped about ten miles south of here.

It's going to be a lot of resentment
around him, folks.

Find out about this.

Not even the election,

of course.
You wouldn't write an interview.

You would have shot him.

Where do you find him?

I'm not far from the train.

I was coming into town
to visit an old friend of mine.

You know somebody here?

Yeah. I grew up with the dead man's wife.

Well, now.

On that payroll, old friend of Alice, huh?

Riding the wagon train
all the way from the east

and smack into a dead husband
on the trail.

Kind of funny how things happen sometimes.

Yeah, it sure is.

I don't suppose you'd like to be the one
to tell Allie what happened?

No, I wouldn't like to be sheriff,
but has got to tell him.

I would. I find it.

A second street down there.

The first house on the right

bank.

Sheriff, if you're looking
for me, I'll be down there.

Thank you.

Get into sitting on that hard
fence, Billy. No.

Want a sandwich,

then?

Are you here?

I guess so.

More boys, time parcels.

Well, when you're waiting.

Oh, I don't know.

I guess the same reason to watch pot
never boils.

Sam, if I sit here and watch the road
for Dad, it'll never show up.

It'll sure seem that way.

Son, I don't want you to get
your heart set on that phone.

Your father didn't promise it to you.

You know that.

I know he doesn't always find the horses
he wants when he goes on a buying trip.

There are an awful
lot more horses than Shetlands.

Mom, that man over there is watching us.

No, You don't think so?

Come on.

Why don't you wash up now?

The bread is just out of the oven

and you can have some of my special
strawberry jam.

Oh, boy.

Allie,

you start running now.

I'll count to ten,
and I'll still be that rock so rough.

At the corner of the schoolhouse.

And I'll carry your books to book blend.

Glen McCullough.

Oh, the long time, Allie.

Oh, how could I possibly not
recognize you?

Red hair and those freckles.

You haven't changed a bit. You have.

I didn't think a young colt could grow up
and go out to be such a pretty woman.

I was right. You haven't changed a bit.

Oh, Billy,
this is your uncle, Clint McCullough.

My son Billy.

Got to Major Billy. How do you do, sir?

Uncle. Fine.

Flanagan. Boy. Allie.

Thank you.

We've told him so much about you. He.

He thinks of you as part of the family.

Now, how about some hot
bread and strawberry jam?

How does that sound?

I bread and strawberry jam.

As good as your mother used to make
it Sounds fine.

Just lead the way. Good.

And in between Bite, you can tell me all
about yourself and what you're doing here.

Oh, I do hope you can stay till you come.

I know you like him. He's a wonderful man.

I'm a very lucky woman.

Unions never take your wagon train, Uncle.

Way more times than I remember you.

Tell me about.
There'll be plenty of time for that later.

I thought you were so anxious to get out
that that was before Uncle Frank.

But you want to get rid of me.

I will.

How did you get in?

Tell me about the Indians.

I sure will.

If I'm here. Scamp,

I'll get you some hot coffee.

I guess

my cooking isn't as good
as my mother seems to be.

Hmm. We've already touched by.

Oh, I guess I'm

not as hungry as I thought I was.

Something bothering you, Finn?

What makes you think something's
bothering me?

Well, when we were kids, I used to think I
knew your moods pretty well.

I still don't.

Want to tell me about it.

Allie,

do you know that
I passed by Boon Center three times,

And as many of you once even start
and brought some supplies here,

I didn't know that you live
within a hundred miles of the place.

I wouldn't have known it if I hadn't.

I'd run into your folks in Saint Louis.

Oh, it's been such a long time
since I've seen them.

And I do get homesick sometimes, but
I wouldn't ever want to leave one center.

We become such a part of this town,

and it's been good to us.

My goodness,
it seems such a short time ago

that we started out with just the team
we drove

and just by shrewd trading, who built that
one more now team into a fine

livery and horse trading business
in partnership with his brother Bert.

Oh, by the way, did

I tell you, Lou, as mayor of Boon Center?

Yeah, I know

you do.

When I ask for directions
on how to get to the house, I.

I learned a lot of things
about your husband.

Oh, I do wish Lou would get back.

He and Bert are up north
looking at some horses.

Nobody told you?

Yes. Well. I just wanted.

I noticed that the table was closed
when I rode by.

Closed?

That's very strange.

Who always insists
that someone be there at all time?

Alice. Oh.

Come in, friend.

I just stopped by to.

Offer my sympathy. Sympathy?

Yes, I

didn't tell you.

Tell me what.

All about, Lou.

But what about Lou?

He's dead.

How would you know?

I brought him in.

Brought him in.

He's over the docks now.

I'd be glad to walk you over there.

Dogs often.

Those dogs often

growling,

howling.

I just heard about it.

Bert, I'm so glad you're here.

Just the fellow found him.

Yeah. I'm Clint McCullough.

You've heard me speak of it many times.

Oh, I'm sorry.

This is my brother.

Bert Should have told me about you.

He asked me a lot of questions. Too early.

He can't figure out why Lou was found
south of town when he and I rode north.

Do you have any ideas? No, I'm afraid not.

We got a late start when we left here
a few miles out of town

sometime in the night.

Lou just rode out Anyway.

In the morning, he was gone.

I don't know where. I never saw him again.

It doesn't sound like Lou.

I know it, Alley.

But he'd been acting
kind of funny all day. Like.

Like he had something on his mind.

Well, he even gave Ira a few days off.

Was Ira.

He's our hired hand.

How long have you been dead
when you found him?

Try to say that long.

And you didn't see anybody else around?

Nobody.

Sheriff figures
you didn't have anything to do with it

or you wouldn't have brought him in.

But what are you thinking?

I don't know. But I intend to find out.

Sheriff kept harping on the fact

that I was the last one to see him alive,
and I don't like that kind of thinking.

Would you like a cup of coffee, Bertie?

No, thanks, Ali.

I got to get over the bar
and take care of the horses.

When Lou disappeared,
I went on anyway and bought it for you.

Ali, I just want you to know that things
will be the same for you and Billy.

I mean, as far as the law is concerned,

I'll always see you taken care of.

Oh, Bert.

I'll be at the stable
if you need anything.

He's a nice boy, Eddie.

Very fond of you.

I'm very fond of Bert.

I Lou practically raised him

when we'd been out here a few years.

We heard he'd become pretty wild.

So who brought in West?

So that he could keep an eye on him?

He's been with us nearly six years now.

Lou thought that
if he gave him a piece of the business

partnership, it might give him a sense
of responsibility,

sort of settle him down.

And it did get married?

No. Said he never found the right girl.

Billy.

Really?

What happened?

It went off accident land.

Oh, they were hurt.

What were you doing with the r*fle,
anyway?

I was loading.

How many times have
I told you not to do that?

I'm going to k*ll the man that shot
my dad.

I believe to.

Find the r*fle.

Billy.

Here he is before.

I took time out.

Dad. Tom There

you go.

Hunting.

So I'm going to use it on the man

that shot Dad.

That's not an easy job for a grown up
man, Billy.

Alone, little boy.

I'm big enough.

Sure you're big enough to sh**t the g*n?

He just did give. It to me.

I'm not going to give it to you.

This b*llet went into the floor.

What if it had?

But if it gone through the wall
and into the kitchen and hit me?

Your mother Ever think of that?

If it had, you wouldn't
be trying to pull it out of my hand.

You want to throw it as far away
as you possibly could?

Believe me, you'd wish
you'd never seen a g*n in your life.

Not two b*ll*ts fired, Billy.

You can ever bring it back,
no matter how much you want him,

how much you wish that you hadn't
pulled the trigger

on two b*ll*ts
fired, You can never bring it back.

I don't care what you say.

I want the g*n.

Let me tell you about g*ns, Billy.

You see this one?

k*ll a lot of things.

He has never broken the law.

That's one of the terrible things
about g*ns, about carrying one.

You see a man go for his g*n,
and so you sh**t him first

because you figure he's going to try
to k*ll you in less than a second.

A man can get the idea drawn.

Fire one second.

That's not very long
for you to decide whether he's

planning to wound you or threatened to

k*ll you.

So you have no choice than to sh**t him
first.

It's legal.

It's even honorable.

But for the rest of your life, you wonder

why you've k*lled a man who

didn't deserve to be k*lled.

Maybe someday it'll be possible

for a man to go out on the streets
without a g*n

and not feel naked.

That's up to young fellows like you.

Billy had the courage to go out
unarmed and prove to this country

that a man's a man because of

what's inside him

and not because of
whistling across his hip

with g*ns alone.

Billy.

Because if you start

to use him, you'll never be able to stop.

I'm going to right
back to the train, the g*n,

your eyes.

I don't like lying.

It doesn't sit well.

Not exactly lying.

You're just not telling the whole story,
that's all.

Well, it's the same thing,

and I don't know what to do about it.

Well, don't do anything about it.

The minute
you tell them that you shot justice,

you're going to have to tell him why.

How in the world
can you tell this girl that the man

she loved enough
to marry his number to herself?

Well, I wish I hadn't been so quick
with the g*n.

I saw the man go for his g*n.

Yeah, but it could have been a reflex.

Of course it was a reflex action.

Any time a horse thief gets himself
caught, he's

going to try to sh**t his way out.

He's not going to just hang
around and wait for a rope.

So any one of us would have shot him
if you hadn't.

So quit blaming yourself. Well, you.

Quite already have.

Listened.

You go on back here and do what you can
to straighten it out.

Well, if you can catch up to us later,
the moral is turning

out. At some point.

You're the wagon. Master. No, not here.

But I'm in charge.

Further up ahead.

That's
because your regular scout is not here.

You sure about that?

Now, mind if I had some coffee?

Go ahead.

Thank you.

What are you looking for?

Sure. The truth.

Truth about what?

You know.

I won't know until you tell me.

I'm from Booth Center.

Your scout McCullough
brought the body of a man.

And today
you said that's the way you found him.

That right?

I don't think so.

I don't think he was telling me the truth.

What do you want me to tell you?

All you know,

I've got enough on McCullough
to throw a little lynching party for him.

Lynch. McCullough for what?

You shot Lou. Justice told you that?

Well, I've been asking
some questions down the line here.

Seems like a lot of folks thought.

They'd tell you why. Yeah.

Sheriff, since when do you hang a man
for sh**ting a horse thief?

When a horse thief?

Not a horse thief who just has
never stole a thing in his life.

He did.

This time I saw him steal that horse
with my own eyes just as plain as day.

That's what a lot of people seem to think.

Where are. You going? Back home.

What are you going to do about McCullin?

What you found out about him?

Well,
I don't think there'll be a lynching party

unless they rile up the people.

And I'm not going to do that.

You know, Sheriff,
that's a real smart idea,

because I'd sure hate to hear
about a lynching party and Boom Center.

There's about 150 men on his train
with r*fles.

I'd hate to hear the same thing.

Do you understand me?

Yeah.

I hope you understand me.

I mean, to get the truth of this thing
one way or another.

Anybody here?

Oh, to take care of my horse.

Fine.

Yeah, That's our business.

Come by. Get him in the morning.

Where are you staying tonight?

Always.

I always think that's a good idea.

I mean, folks talk in a small town.

On my horse here.

I don't even think they know where I am.

How long have we seen this?

As long as she needs me.

But, Ira.

Here.

I got no food in this person
last year. For another. Day.

Another day?

Yeah. And Wagon
Train still hangs around in line.

Tomorrow might be a good idea
for you to really get out of town

for a while.

Right.

What do you want for it?

I just paid a visit to that wagon train.

That's so.

Yes, I thought you'd like to know.

They told me how your brother got k*lled.

It seems like quite a few folks
saw it happen.

Of here.

Hurt.

I said get out of here.

What is the matter with you?

He's a friend. Is he? Ali?

One of you still think so?

When I tell you
he's the one who shot. Lou, I don't.

You keep your mouth shut.

He shot him early because he caught him
stealing one of his horses here.

If I should have known
you had something to do with this.

I told Bert what I found out
is your camera.

That's what you mean.

That's exactly what I mean.

I should think Ali's been heard enough
for one day.

Any time a man gets k*lled,
it's up to me to find out how and why.

Now, I can't do that. If the truth
ain't brought out in the open.

Sometimes a truth hurts.

And I'm sorry for that so much.

But there's just no other way
to do my job.

Come on. But I don't want trouble here.

Come on. Come on.

Ali. Last night I was about

to ride into town to pay you a visit

when one of the men on the train show
that someone was trying to steal a horse.

I ran out to the picket line,
and when I got there,

there was a man leading the horse
away from the others at a dead run.

I fired a shot up into the air
and warned him to stop.

He stopped, but he went for his g*n.

So I shot him.

I found out who he was
when I went through his pockets.

I don't know what else to say, Ali,
except that I'm sorry.

It isn't true.

Lou never stole anything in his life.

He wouldn't.

He couldn't.

I know that this is hard
for you to accept,

but there are all the witnesses
that you'd care to talk to.

My husband is not a horse thief.

I don't care what you saw.

I don't care what any man, woman and child
on that wagon train saw.

He did not do such a thing.

Don't you think I've asked myself
over and over again from every angle

why he should steal when he had so much
to lose and so little to gain.

I admit it.

It doesn't make sense.

But don't ask me to deny what I saw.

You saw it wrong.

I told you the truth, Ali.

There's nothing more to say.

I don't believe it. If

you saw Lou stealing a horse.

But he wasn't stealing a horse somewhere.

There's an answer.

All right,

you tell me.

Why should he come to the wagon train?

Why should he lead
a horse away from the others?

Why shouldn't he stop when I call him?

I don't know why? I don't know.

There had to be a reason.

There had to be.

How are you

Out there?

I believe.

You. Believe.

Wait a minute.

I just want to talk

to McCullough.

Pull up a minute, will you?

You're going in there.

That's for my horses.

Well, I think I better go in with you.
I don't want any trouble.

So yourself,

Sheriff,

what do you think of this?

I mean, how do you figure, Lou,
just as stealing horses?

I don't believe it.

And you think all those folks at the wagon
train were lying? No.

They believe what they said they saw.

Then what does that mean?

Something wasn't true?

It reminds me of a story
I heard once about a fella

called
The Headless Horseman folks calls for.

He was riding around the countryside
at night, carrying his head under his arm.

But it wasn't.

It was just a pumpkin.

And you think there's a pumpkin
in this somehow?

But then I guess more than one man
has been convicted for what it looked like

he was doing.

Really

well.

I'm only going to tell you once,
Stay away from this boy.

I just want to talk to him.

Well, he don't want to talk to you.

Well,
I'd like to talk to you about last night.

You see McCullough,

He don't want to talk to you,
and I don't want to talk to you either.

But you had plenty to say last night,
and you didn't care who heard it.

I just said the truth.

And you believe it. That you shot Lou.

Yeah. Well, what about the horse?

Well, I don't know about that.

You don't know?

What are you going to do?

Believe half the story,
the half that you want to believe,

how he'll say her life to Lou
had no reason to steal a horse.

And from what I've learned of the man,
it doesn't make any sense to me either.

But now that it's public information,
I got to ask and a few more.

Questions are going to hurt.

Anybody.

Hey, Bird.

I saw you coming with the horses
yesterday.

You mind if I take a look at it?
Yeah, go ahead.

I'm afraid that Merritt might just about
went broke.

And sat in mind.

Tonight.

I'm just wondering

if he'd come to any conclusions.

Such as?

Such as?

Maybe you didn't
see what you thought you saw.

I think there's a pumpkin,
if that's what you mean.

The funny thing

about brothers,
sometimes both have the same upbringing.

One turns out good, the other goes sour.

One has position, respect pretty wide.

Maybe it's a pretty wide. That hurts.

What are you getting at? Maybe nothing.

Maybe everything.

I've got time for a real sheriff.

I thought maybe
could figure out a couple of answers.

Why should I?

Because that's the kind of man you are.

You've got a conscience.

I know what's going through your head.

You think you've made a mistake.

You got shot too soon.

You're the kind of man who has to find out
I was wrong.

You arrest me.

If you had, I will.

We're both two and about the same thing.

Let's do together

the justice as a final family.

Now, that's
a good place to look for a black sheep.

The question in my mind is

which one's a black sheep? Lou.

I bet you're sure there is one.

Not close your mind to that possibility.

You know something I don't know.

Not yet.

Well, then what are you getting at?

Suspicions.

Just suspicions.

Suspicions on evidence.

You were talking to Mrs.

Justice. Did she say anything?

She thinks her husband's innocent, But

he's very fond of him.

What are you driving at?

I want to clear Lou's name.

And Bert's expense.

Only Albert's in the wrong.

Let me tell you something
about Lou Justice.

He was always for the underdog.

Anybody within a hundred miles of here
I needed help.

Could come to Lou.

He spent a year of his life
once getting a man out of jail

who was in on a bad charge.

Make.

He's everything I said he was, isn't he?

Seems to be.

Make a good deal.

Don't rush me now, Bird.
Let me run in first.

Oh, that's not necessary, George.

It is one.

It's my money.

What do you think he said in such a hurry?

Wherever it is, he'll be smart
if he keeps on going.

I don't blame you for not liking him.

Why should I like him?

He k*lled my brother, didn't he?

Now he's milling around saying he's only
trying to clear Lou's name.

So to him,
anyway, he's got nothing to gain by it.

I'll go along with you there.

It appears to me if I was him, I'd rather
believe I shot a man for a horse

stealing. And I believe I k*lled
him for no good reason.

That's a mighty hard thing

for a man to live with. Go.

Hey, Blanche.

You got a nice sooner than I expected you.

But I'm not back to stay.

I've stumbled on something that

might prove that Lou Justice wasn't

stealing that horse at all.

We'll just harden tarnation.

Do you think he was doing?

I think it was running the horse
to check its wind.

I think he thought he was buying it.

Where did you get this idea?

That's the way everything looks.

I want to talk to the man at Yellow
Paper. Was he?

Well, he was.

He was standing around back there.
I saw me.

What's his name?

My golly.

You know, I don't think I do remember.

You know, it was Bill.

No, I don't. I don't think so.

Charlie.

He was standing right next to him.
Who was he?

Yeah, I saw him.

He was standing. Right down the.
Supply. Right.

Well, what was his name? Well,

I don't know.

Well, he had to come from the train.

Maybe not.
If he didn't belong in the wagon train.

What would you do on your anyway?

Well, justice doesn't belong to the train.

I really think

that there isn't

any one of us that wouldn't recognize
and be able to call by name

any man on this train
if we got a good look at him.

Trouble is,

we were thinking more about what
this fellow said and who said it.

That's right.

Well, if he wasn't
supposed to be on a train, why.

Was he here? To do just what he did?

Cry thief.

By golly, this is beginning to make sense.

It does, Sam.

Beginning of the fire.

One man figures he's here to buy a horse,

and another man tells us
that he's stealing.

And we go rushing out
expecting to see a horse thief.

And that's exactly what we see.

We do?

Yeah, we. Did. Flint.

He drew his g*n. Wouldn't you?

I mean, if I fired first.

Well, Bill,

you said yourself this fellow
didn't look much like a horse thief.

Yeah, I guess it did.

You know, Flint,
I think. You got something there.

A lot of pieces in this puzzle,
but they don't seem to fall into place.

Flint,

are you sure you want
those pieces to fall into place?

Well.

You know what it's going to do, don't you?

Yeah, I know

that's going to mean a lot more to
somebody else,

and I owe it to her.

You want any help? No.

All right, we'll.

We'll see you when we see it.

The last

talk of Flint coming back.

Yes. Why?

Just one word.

I agree.

Oh, we got to really?

You know, I just didn't write
about the training, so I quit my job.

What do you mean, quit?

Said I'm a stay here for work.

You got no business here.

Well, I wouldn't exactly call it business,
but I'm glad to settle down here.

Might even get married.

All right.

That's right.

That's the intention.

What are you talking about.

Ali? I'm planning on
asking Ali to marry me.

What? Well, not right away.

Of course.

I'm going to wait
a respectable period of time.

You better forget about her, McCollough.

And about stand around here.

No, I'm afraid I've made up my mind.

And after Ali and I are married,
I hope you'll see fit to be more friendly.

She's going to marry you.

I think that's up to her, isn't it?

I mean,
you've got nothing to say about it.

Maybe I do.

You don't think she would marry you?

Then why wouldn't she?

I think.

God, I prefer a man who could stand
on his own two feet.

Now you're talking just like him.

Michael. Lou.

Yeah, Lou.

Because you got mighty tired of being Lou
just as little brother.

But I'm not as stupid as he thought I was.

And that's another reason you ain't got
to hang around here and get my way.

We'll see about that.

Yeah, we'll see.

Oh. Oh.

I want the truth out of you.

So talk or I'll break your shoulder.

You know, you always ran a horse
before he bought it, didn't you?

So your planet, Iowa.

And you made him yell thief, didn't you?

Didn't?

Yes. Answer.

I'll break your.

Show.

It is.

I told you there was a pumpkin somewhere.

I have another name for him, Sheriff.

I knew if I let you birddog them
long enough to add Connor himself.

I don't know how anybody could hate Lou
that much.

Not even him. He's done a pretty good job.

I guess the more you do to some folks,
the more they hate for its

want to go.

Oh, my. God.

Oh, there's only

one thing worse than sh**ting a man down
as to sh**t him in the back.

Thank you.

Fred. Go ahead, sir. Alec.

Hello, McCullough.

I thought it was best
I didn't come to the funeral.

I just thought I wait around
and say goodbye.

Goodbye.

If there was something that I could
do, I'd be glad to stay.

Every time I looked at you,
I'd have to think how.

How useless it all was.

Maybe later.

Time will take care of things.

Maybe in a few years.

Yeah, and a few years. Ali.

If in a few years you decide that
maybe you could forgive me,

I'd appreciate it very much
if you'd somehow try and let me know.

Billy,

We should try to understand, Clint.

Why should we?

Because he didn't do anything wrong.

Not on purpose.

Hurts the guilty one.

Brute. Pull that trigger.

We haven't been very fair to Flint, Billy.

In spite of everything, he gave us back
the memory of your father as we knew him.

That's something you can build
your whole life on.

And he paid a terrible
price to give it to us.

And he's going to go on paying

until the day that somehow he can

forgive himself

and you.