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09x21 - The Crime of Johnny Mule

Posted: 01/25/22 12:14
by bunniefuu
And now, Mr. Lowden,

you have stated that on the morning
of the day your father was m*rder*d,

that you and the hands went
out to repair a broken fence.

- How long were you gone?
- All day.

And on that day,
did you or the hands

see any unauthorized
person on your land?

Yes, sir. About noon we... we saw a
man on a mule cutting across our range.

- Is that person in this courtroom now?
- The defendant, Johnny Mule.

Now, will you
describe for the jury

just what you and the hands saw
when you returned home that evening?

Well, there was some
plates on the table.

Two people had eaten.

Pa, my father, he... he was lying
face down on the kitchen floor.

And there was a
knife stuck in his back.

[PEOPLE MURMURING]

- This knife?
- Yes.

LAWYER: Did you or
did you not own this knife?

Yeah.

And did you have it with you the day
you went to the Lowden ranch house?

Yeah.

Why did you go there?

To get me some money.

- That's why you k*lled him, wasn't it?!
- No!

You even sat at his table
and let him feed you first.

No! It wasn't me. It
was the other fella!

- What other fella?
- I don't know!

This other fella, I could... I
could hear Mr. Lowden shouting.

- What about?
- I don't know. There was hollering.

He stopped when I
knocked on the door.

- And did you see this other man?
- No.

I knowed there was
someone there, though.

I heard the door
slam inside the house.

There was two
plates on the table.

And that's the story you
want this jury to believe?

Is, um, Johnny
Mule your real name?

I don't know. That’s
all I ever was called.

Did you or did you not
willfully m*rder David Lowden

on the third day of last month

for $200 known to
be in his possession?

And did you reward his
generosity with a knife in his back?

And didn't you then rob him and
panic, leaving the knife behind?

And then did you or not,
four days after your arrest,

invent this mysterious stranger
in an attempt to cover up

this foul and inhuman deed?
Yes or no, Mr. m*rder*r?

Mr. Mule.

[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]

- I got the horses saddled.
- Good.

You remember that
razor strop they asked for?

Yeah, I got it in the other
saddlebag with Hoss's shirt and socks.

Well, I never figured that jury
would be out for three days.

- No one did.
- You know what I can't figure out?

How come they just don't let
Hoss and Candy come home at night

instead of keeping them
locked up there in a hotel?

Well, they just don't want them to
discuss the case with any outsider

- until they bring in a verdict.
- Guess it makes sense.

- Have we got everything?
- Yeah.

Joe, once we get into town, I
gotta get to the bank immediately.

You... you take this
stuff over to the hotel

and I'll meet you
at the court house.

I still think Hoss would have been
happy if we filled these saddlebags

with some of Hop Sing's fried
chicken instead of all those clean socks.

Where you gonna
find a size 14 chicken?

[CHUCKLES] 14...

- Marcy.
- Hello, Joe.

- Any news?
- No. The jury is still out.

Joe, Virg is back.

- When did he get in?
- Last night, I guess.

He rode in with
Cleve this morning.

Well, it's been almost
two years, hasn't it?

- Mm-hm.
- Is he giving you any trouble?

No. What was
between us is long gone.

He knows I'm marrying Cleve.

Now he's brooding
about his father.

Well, that’s easy
enough to understand.

Why don't you go
and talk to him?

- Cleve.
- Joe.

- Virg, I'm sorry about your father.
- I been hearing that all morning.

Why doesn't somebody
do something about it?

- What's taking the jury so long?
- You know as much about it as I do.

Your brother's in there. Why
doesn't he do something?

Virg, there's 11 other men in there.
What do you expect Hoss to do?

We heard the same
thing the jury heard, Joe.

Deke Saunders offered five to one
that they wouldn't be out ten minutes.

- No takers.
- I wouldn't have bet him.

If I'd have been around
when they brought that k*ller in,

wouldn't be nobody
waiting three days to settle it.

Virg, I know how you feel,
but that's what the law is for,

to keep trouble from
starting more trouble.

I'm talking about the real
law. An eye for an eye.

I came back because Pa wrote me
Cleve and Marcy were fixing to get married.

And I come home to this.

[DOOR OPENS]

- Cleve, they said it's no verdict.
- CLEVE: What do you mean?

The jury deadlocked.
They couldn't agree.

- They're letting him go?
- Another trial. A new jury.

He'll get off. You
see if he don't.

Hey, Candy.

What happened in there?

What happened? We
voted 11 to one guilty

five minutes after
we got the case.

We voted that way for
three long days, 11 to one.

- Who voted to let him go?
- Your brother.

Hi, Little Brother.

Hi, Virg, I didn't
know you were here.

Hoss Cartwright.

The big man himself.

I'm sorry you had to come
home under such circumstances.

Are you? Why didn't
you do something about it

when you were locked
up in that jury room?

Well, Virgil, I'm not sure
that Johnny Mule did it.

Eleven other men did.

Well, I have to answer to
my conscience, not theirs.

The law states that guilt must be
proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

- And I don't think it was.
- And Pa used to call you his friend.

I hope you knew what
you were doing, Hoss.

So do I, Marcy.

Come on, let's go.

You don't have to
shove me none, Sheriff.

I hope old Hop Sing's got
some of that fried chicken left.

You know, there ain't
nothing like that hotel food

to make a man
appreciate home cooking.

I guess not.

If you two have something to
say, I'd like to hear it. Right out.

All right.

I thought the prosecutor had a
darn good case against Johnny Mule.

- What do you think, Pa?
- Well, much as I hate to think it...

What the prosecutor
said made a lot of sense.

Then you figure I done
wrong by voting for an acquittal

and locking up the jury, right?

Well, it's a free country.
Every man to his opinion.

But let me tell you this.

You two had a front-row
seat. You saw the show.

When it was over you got up and
walked out, had a beer and forgot about it.

But we had to decide whether Johnny
Mule was going to live or die or not.

Well, Hoss, look, we sat there and
we listened to the same evidence

- that you did.
- Joe, I listened to that evidence

and I listened to it good.

Some of it went on this side of the scale,
and some of on that side of the scale.

Then after I heard the
comments the judge had to make,

then I had to make a
decision. I had to live with it.

- I just don't understand why you...
- BEN: Joseph.

Hoss is right.

It's a free country. He's
entitled to his opinion.

Let's not discuss
it any further.

Thanks, Pa.

Now, I'm gonna see if there's
any of that chicken left in there.

And I got some work
to do out in the barn.

Do you work here or are
you just gonna stand around?

I was waiting
for you to tell me.

- Thought maybe you got me fired.
- Why would I do a thing like that?

Well, we were at each
other's throats for three days.

That was during the
trial. That’s all over now.

We’ll let 12 other men
wrestle that problem.

- You ever work one of these things?
- Sure.

Get over here on
the other end of it.

- Still think you're wrong.
- That's your privilege.

I wasn't alone, you know.
Ten others agreed with me.

That's their privilege.

Johnny Mule was in Lowden's
house that day. He admitted that.

And Lowden was k*lled
with Johnny Mule's knife.

- What more do you need?
- I want some answers.

Some answers to questions like why
did Johnny Mule leave his knife there?

- He panicked and ran.
- Oh.

Ran all of three
miles, didn't he?

Then built himself a fire
so he'd be easy to find, huh?

That crow-bait horse of his
threw his shoe and came up lame.

He ran as far as he could.

If I'd just put a knife in a man's
back, I'd run more than three miles,

with or without a horse.

You'd do that. Johnny
Mule ain't that bright.

Oh, so you'll hang a man
because he ain't bright, huh?

Hoss, that whole thing about
him hearing somebody else

at Lowden's house that day.

That sounds exactly like a man
who's trying to cover up something.

You just said he wasn't bright,

and now you're trying
to make him clever, huh?

You know you're more
than just ordinary stubborn.

You could give a hard
rock billy goat lessons.

You gonna work or talk?

One thing for sure. The next
jury will vote to hang Johnny Mule.

Maybe. Maybe not.

He's gonna have a
better lawyer this time.

And maybe I can find some of the
answers to those questions I want.

Look, Candy, I don't mind
you hanging on the saw, Candy.

You get tired, just yell, don't
drag your feet. I'll let you rest.

Thank you kindly.

But if any man yells for
mercy, it ain't gonna be me.

You seen the k*ller
ride up to the house?

I saw a man on a horse.

People short-cut across the range
all the time, Virg. You know that.

You didn't know he was
gonna put a knife into Pa's back

so you couldn't
stop it, all right.

But you could have
done something after.

What are you talking about?

What happened to you when
they brought Pa's k*ller in?

What stopped you from
taking him then and there?

Stopped me?

- What stopped me, Virg? The law!
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]

Can I come in?

I knew it. Not a pan on the
stove. No food on the table.

You two haven't
had a bite to eat.

I brought some steak
and all the trimmings.

Well, you don't have to
fix ours. We ain't hungry.

You won't eat, but
you've got room for that.

Why don't you run
along back home?

Cleve and I got some
hard talking to do.

Do you want me to leave?

You'd better go, Marcy.

But I'm one of the family.
Well, I’m going to be.

That's no way to start a
marriage, secrets all over the place.

- Look, Marcy...
- At times you move pretty quickly, boy.

I wasn't more than over the hill
before you were cozying up to her.

That's not true!

You and I never meant
that much to each other.

Oh. [CHUCKLES] I seem to
remember hearing you say we did.

Anyway, that don't matter now.

As soon as this is over, I'm selling
my half of the ranch and getting out.

You can't.

Pa's will says you can't sell
unless I do, and I'm not about to.

Well, now...

Seems Marcy ain't
the only thing you stole.

- Come here!
- Now, stop that!

Stop that, both of you!

You ought to be ashamed!

Your father just buried, and you
two fighting like dogs over a bone!

Yes, sir, Cleve, boy, you move
real quick when you want to.

When it come to that
desert rat that knifed Pa,

you don't do nothing about
it. The law stopped you.

Hoss Cartwright's kind of law.

Well, it ain't gonna stop me.

I'll tell you why.

Because one way or another,

I'm gonna see that Johnny
Mule laying dead at my feet,

just like you seen Pa
laying at yours, right here.

There's still one
man left in this family.

Wasn’t Cleve’s fault Hoss
Cartwright deadlocked that jury.

If Cleve had done what
he ought to have done,

there wouldn't even
have been a trial.

But... we're gonna fix
that, ain't we, Cleve?

Right now.

No. No, don't do it, Cleve.

- Go home, Marcy.
- No!

I said go home.

Good night.

I don't know what
they was arguing about.

All I heard was Mr. Lowden
hollering and such.

It stopped when I stepped up on
the porch and knocked on the door.

Now, Johnny, let
me get this straight.

You say you heard Dave Lowden
yelling, and you still knocked on the door?

Well, sure, I had to let him
know I was there, didn't I?

Yeah. Yeah, sure
you did, Johnny.

Now, after Dave let
you in, what did you see?

Well, I seed old Dave.

His face was all red like the
wattles on a turkey gobbler.

He...

Hey, Hoss, did you know
that there's wild turkeys again

in the brush up on
Backbreak Ridge?

Some old homesteader
fella just moved out

and let his whole
flock there to go wild.

You and me, we ought to
go get us a couple of them.

- They's mighty good eating.
- Yeah. Yeah, Johnny.

We will later, but right now we
got some other things to tend to.

Now, after Dave let you
in, what else did you see?

Well, there was a table

and... and chairs, a door.

You know the door what goes to
the bedroom, it was tight closed.

Yeah. Now, that table... did you
notice anything special about the table?

You mean, was they eating?

Like I said in court.

Look, Hoss, you don't have
to go sneaking up on things.

You... you want to know something
from Johnny Mule, you just ask him.

Yeah. Fine, Johnny, I know that.

Sometimes, it's better if you
can remember all by yourself.

I can't cipher numbers, and...

And I never learned
how to read and...

And I... I got to sign my
name with a mark, but...

but they's one thing
that Johnny Mule can do,

- and that's remember what he seed.
- Good.

Johnny, what was on that table?

There was a company tablecloth

with little red and
white squares.

There was company dishes.

And bread and butter.

And a big pitcher of milk.

And baked beans.

It was fresh bread.

There was two plates.

One of them was almost full.

And one was about empty.

The first time he never
asked me to step in and sit.

[LAUGHS] He just give me the
three dollars and closed the door.

Yeah. Now, Johnny,
let me get this straight.

You went out there to
sell Dave your knife for $3

- so you'd have money for food, right?
- Yeah.

First time he never asked
me to step in and sit a while.

Johnny...

[LAUGHS] I could sure
use some of them beans.

How did you know Dave
would buy the knife?

He seen me cleaning
a trout with it one time.

He said to me, any old time
you want to sell that knife,

I'll sure buy it.

He said he had one just
like it when he was a kid.

- Did you tell your lawyer that?
- He never asked me.

Doggone it.

You should have
told him, Johnny.

You see, everybody
thought you were lying.

If they had known why
Dave wanted that knife,

they might have believed you. It
could have made a big difference.

This here next trial.

You going to be on the jury?

No. No, Johnny, I can't.

But I'll guarantee you this,
you're gonna have a better lawyer.

You're the only one that
knows I didn't k*ll Mr. Lowden.

You gotta be on my jury.

Johnny, it's... it's impossible.

If you ain't...

they're gonna hang me.

10:00, Johnny. Lights out.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

- Who is it?
- It's Marcy Coleman.

- Anybody with you, Marcy?
- No, I'm alone.

What are you doing
out this time of night?

Virg and Cleve are going
to try to k*ll Johnny Mule.

SHERIFF: I can believe Virg
would try a fool thing like that,

but Cleve's too level-headed.

MARCY: He's been acting
different since Virg came back.

I tried to talk to him, but
he wouldn't listen to me.

He sent me away. I
had to come and tell you.

I don't want Cleve getting
k*lled trying to do something

that the next jury's
going to do anyway.

- Well, you did the right thing.
- You won't hurt them, will you?

Marcy, I don't want
to hurt anybody.

Now, the best thing you can do is
keep them boys away from this jail.

They wouldn't listen to me.

Marcy, there's another deputy
playing poker over in the Silver Dollar.

Tell him I need him and a couple
of volunteers to stand shotgun.

All right.

- Come on.
- Where?

Johnny, I'm putting you in the
solitary cell for your own protection.

I'd sooner stay
right here, Sheriff.

You must have heard
what the lady said.

Mounted men could g*n down
on you from out there. Move!

I can't go in there.

Johnny, I'm not asking
you. Come on! Move!

- No, please!
- Come on!

I can't go in that dark place!

CANDY: Johnny, hold it!

Watch her. Come on!

[g*nsh*t]

[SIGHS] Couple of sh*ts.

How's the sheriff?

He's alive, if that's
what you mean.

Doc says he'll be a
while getting on his feet.

- And no trace of Johnny Mule?
- We didn’t find any.

We got a couple of dozen men out
there tracking, it's too dark to find him.

We’ll get him in the morning.

- You heard about Johnny Mule?
- Yeah. How did it happen?

Split the sheriff’s
skull and rode out.

First Pa, now the sheriff.

That’s what Hoss
Cartwright's turned loose on us.

We’ll find him tomorrow. The
next jury will vote to hang him.

If he lives to stand trial.

- Whiskey.
- Same.

Johnny Mule busted
out of jail last night

and practically k*lled
the sheriff doing it.

- Busted out?
- The deputy's forming a posse.

- Asked me to come to get you three.
- Be right with you.

How'd it happen?

The sheriff was switching Mule to
the solitary cell and Mule jumped him.

- Why the switch?
- Marcy told the sheriff

that the Lowdens were coming
in to take care of Mule themselves.

- Cleve too?
- CANDY: Yes, Cleve too.

What do you expect after
what you did to that jury?

Well, I sure didn't expect Johnny
Mule to break out of jail, that's for sure.

All right, all right.
How'd the posse split up?

Three groups. The
one forming at Lassiter's

is gonna sweep through
the Red Hill country.

What about the others?

The deputy is heading for the foothills,
the rest are starting down by the lake.

- What group are you with?
- Red Hill country.

- Either of the Lowdens with you?
- I'm not sure.

- Joe, you head for the foothills.
- Right.

I'll join the lake group. Hoss,
you better go with Candy.

- Right. Candy.
- CANDY: Yeah.

- I'll saddle up and catch you later.
- CANDY: Right.

JOHNNY: Mr. Hoss.

Please.

- Please...
- Johnny.

What happened to you?

I was riding through the trees.

I got knocked off my horse.

I fell down in
amongst the rocks.

What are you doing here, anyhow?

I didn't know no
other place to go.

You was the only one, Hoss.

The only one...

- believed me.
- Johnny.

Johnny!

[COUGHING]

Better?

- Yeah.
- Let me help you up.

Johnny, I'm... I'm still gonna have to
take you in. You know that, don't you?

Why?

Well, Johnny, you're a fugitive.
You're still wanted for k*lling a man.

You know I didn't do that.

No, Johnny, I don't
know that you didn't.

I'm just not convinced that you did.
There is a difference, you understand?

But them others, they...
they wanted to hang me.

Well, it ain't up to them now. It's
a new jury that's got to decide it.

And what you did to the sheriff
didn't do your case no good neither.

He... He wanted to put me
in that dark little place. Oh...

But, Johnny, it was
for your own good,

to keep Cleve and Virg
from trying to k*ll you.

I ain't never been locked up,
Hoss, I don't like them bars.

I don't like walls.

Two ways he could
have gone from here.

The lake or past the
creek into the hills.

Won't be hard to find out. Creek
bed's muddy. Bound to be tracks.

- Don't take no chances.
- Come on, Gabe.

Okay, give the
horses a breather.

- You hear something?
- No.

Well, you've been sniffing
back there ever since you met us.

Hoss was supposed
to have joined us.

He should have been
here half an hour ago.


Well, if it weren't for him, ain't
none of us would have to be here.

- There's nothing I can do, Johnny.
- But just help me to get away.

I promise you, I'll never
come back no more.

Johnny, there's laws.
I ain't got no choice.

I go back, I got to
stand trial again?

- Yeah.
- And them folks,

they say I did it.

- They hang me.
- It's the law, Johnny.

And that next jury,
they vote to k*ll me.

And you don't
have to feel nothing,

'cause it ain't your
doing no more.

I... Thanks for what
you already done for me.

Johnny, where are you going?

Well, if I'm gonna get hanged

for... for something
I didn't do,

they ain't gonna sh**t
me like no animal in a cage

or something hanged
up for skinning.

Look, I want to help you.

But now we're gonna
have to do it the right way.

Now, if you'll promise to
stay right here and let me go in

and talk to the sheriff
about a change of venue...

I don't even know
what that means.

Johnny, all it means is that
we'll take you to another town

where you'll have a
better chance for a fair trial.

It's the only chance
you got, Johnny.

There must be a hundred
men out there looking for you.

A hundred men
looking for Johnny Mule?

I wonder how many ever
looked for who was hiding

in Lowden's house
the day he got k*lled.

Johnny, the sheriff looked.

He couldn't have
looked very hard.

Johnny, everybody
makes mistakes.

This sheriff is one of the
finest fellas I ever knew, Johnny.

And if you'll promise me to
stay here while I go in and talk...

- Just promise me that.
- I can't.

Johnny, you're going to stay
if I have to tie you to a post.

I can't go back! They ain't
gonna lock me in that little iron box!

- I can't!
- Johnny!

I can't go back there, Hoss!

[g*n COCKS]

I don't want to hurt you none.

Look, get over
against that stall there.

And put your...
put your hands up.

Johnny...

I didn't want to hurt you none.

Whole day gone.

Three posses riding since dawn.
They haven't brought him in yet.

Stay put, Tom. Sit down.

Look, if you really want to
help, you can saddle my horse.

I got to know what's
going on before dark.

The doc said for you to
stay put and get plenty of rest,

or you're gonna be in worse
shape than you're already in.

- Hoss, I should be out there.
- Yeah.

It'd take two men to haul you back
in after you fell out of your saddle.

Tom, there's plenty out
looking for Johnny Mule now.

Yeah, sure. Including
the Lowdens.

Hoss, it's my job to keep Mule
alive until the jury decides different.

Tom, the Lowdens
ain't likely to find him.

And neither is anybody
else for a while yet anyhow.

You sound awful sure.

The posse's only got a
couple hours of daylight left.

And they're looking a long
ways from the right place.

Well, where is he?

Hoss, I'm not asking
you as a friend.

I'm asking you as
an officer of the law.

I'd like to...

I'd like to do a little
talking first, if I could, Tom.

You're aiding and
abetting a fugitive, Hoss.

Now, I want to know
where you got him hid.

Well, I can't recall just offhand
and I don't think I'm going to,

till we get a couple of
things straightened out.

You're not only breaking the
law, you're asking me to help.

Yes, I am.

Virg Lowden is talking
lynch and m*rder.

Now, if he can't
find Johnny Mule,

there ain't no way he
can put that on, is there?

So, in a way, I'm sort of
doing you a favor, ain't I, Tom?

No matter what you say, Hoss, I
can't break the law I sworn to uphold.

All right, then
bend it a little,

until I can get a good lawyer to
change the venue over to Carson City.

We can get some guards that
you can trust to get him there alive.

You really believe he's
innocent, don't you?

I don't know. All I know is that
I got me a bunch of that stuff

that you lawmen
call reasonable doubt.

Even after what he
did to me and you?

Aw, Tom, he was
trying to save his life.

That don't make
him guilty of m*rder!

No, but it don't prove
him innocent, either.

Wait a minute.

Now, what was done in
regards to checking out his story

about that strange fella, whoever
it was out at the Lowden's?

You heard me in the trial.

He never even
mentioned another man

till he was sitting in
that cell for four days.

You heard my story about
the knife too, didn't you?

Well, that’ll come up in the re-trial,
if we can get him back for a re-trial!

We were all the way to Still
Creek. No sign of fresh tracks.

Well, we’ll head west

and keep going as long as
there's light enough to see by.

Here you are, Tom. Maybe
it'll make you feel a little better.

Thanks.

- You found him yet?
- No, but we will.

Before Virg and Cleve k*ll him?
Or after he kills one of them?

Oh, Marcy, Johnny Mule
doesn't want to k*ll anybody.

Well, you're the only one
in the world who thinks that.

Marcy, you're not doing yourself
any good hanging around here.

You ought to be home in bed.

Wait here.

- Where’s the doc?
- At his office, I guess. Why?

The doc's in his office.

- Where have you been?
- I've been busy.

Well, you sure
voted right, buddy.

We flushed Johnny Mule out
of the rocks behind Lowden's.

He shot Virg. He slipped
us before we could ring him.

- Is Virg dead?
- I don't know.

Even if the doc gets there in
time, I wouldn't hope too high.

SHERIFF: The rocks
back of Lowden's?

You knew he was hiding
there and you wouldn't tell me?

He wasn't hiding there, Sheriff.
Are you sure it was Johnny Mule?

- Of course I'm sure it was Johnny Mule.
- You saw him?

It was dark. We were fanned out.

Virg must have ridden
right over the top of him.

Johnny Mule fired three
r*fle sh*ts, hit Virg twice.

Huh. So none of you
actually saw him, did you?

- We didn’t have to.
- Well, who did you think it was,

Mr. Cartwright? That
mysterious stranger again?

The one that nobody ever sees?

It's your fault. If you hadn't
protected that m*rder*r,

Virg would never
have gotten shot.

Marcy, Virg is hurt bad.

All the more reason
he needs a nurse.

Don't tell me you were
fool enough to hide him.

Well, I don't know about the fool
part, but I knew where he was, yeah.

And I didn't tell nobody, no.

Well, if you don't
cooperate this time,

I'm gonna put you under arrest
for harboring a known fugitive!

Tom, give me till daylight.
I'll bring him back to you.

I promise you. I
give you my word.

Yeah, if you're lucky. He's
probably halfway to Arizona by now.

I'm gonna go check,
see if they found the doc.

I got to get out
to the Lowden's.

Tom, you're not going any place,

the shape you're in.

Drink that coffee.

Better?

[WOLF HOWLS, YIPS]

[WOLF HOWLS]

That's my pony, Mr. Cartwright.

- What are you doing here?
- Same thing you're doing.

Looking for Johnny Mule.

Well, you heard Candy say that they'd
flushed him up there at the Lowden's.

Yeah, I heard that.
I heard you too.

Now, he can't be in two
places at once. So where is he?

Well, you mean that you
believe me instead of Candy?

I asked you a question.
You'd better answer me.

I'd like to know what you're doing
here instead of at the Lowden's.

Because I'm chasing a k*ller.

Oh. Most women that I
know had a brother-in-law shot

and may be dying, but
would be there by his side,

offering all the help
and comfort they could.

It would give a lot of people comfort
if I get my sights on Johnny Mule.

You... You're a good
shot, huh, Marcy?

Good enough.

You know, when something's
troubling me, I don't like to get rid of it

until I can get all the facts kind
of straightened out in my mind.

That’s why I voted
not guilty at the trial.

There were just too many
questions unanswered.

Never mind the speeches. Just
tell me where I can find Johnny Mule.

Virg was shot with a r*fle.

Johnny ain't even got one.

Those fool questions
will be the death of you.

Had it kind of rough,
haven't you, Marcy?

Your folks being dead and
losing the ranch and all that.

Don't worry about
me. I'll do all right.

Yeah.

You were telling around that you
and Virg were gonna get married.

That is, until he
ran out on you.

And now it's you and Cleve.

But of course you knew that Cleve would
just be a hired hand till his pa died.

Marcy, you say
you're good with a r*fle.

How good are you with a knife?

You really had it figured out
nice for yourself, didn't you?

Mr. Lowden dead.
Johnny Mule blamed for it.

You had Cleve and that
whole ranch all to yourself.

Yeah, real nice until
Virg rode back, right?

- [g*nsh*t]
- Let me go! Let me go!

- Well, you took long enough.
- No!

Wanted to make sure
I heard everything.

- Did you?
- [MARCY SOBS]

Yeah. Yeah, enough to
make me want to cut my throat.

Hoss!

I was sleeping out in the
bushes, I heard a shot.

[SOBBING]

Yeah. She wanted to
see me dead, Johnny.

Why?

Well, I reckon I was
asking too many questions.

- What do you mean?
- Well, I mean Johnny that

she wanted a ranch and a husband
bad enough she put a knife in an old man

and was gonna
let you hang for it.

Johnny.

For three days, I kept
voting to hang you.

I guess I decided you were
guilty the first time I looked at you.

Well, I... never in my life

even judged a
horse at first sight.

I was ready to judge
a man that way.

I'm never gonna do that again.

Well, I guess that's the last
we'll be seeing of Johnny Mule.

How come he didn't
want to come work for us?

Oh, I offered him a job, but he
thought he'd be better off by himself.

He told Cleve the same thing.

- Candy.
- Here's your mail.

Thank you.

- Did you go by the Lowden place?
- Yeah.

Doc's got Virg sitting
out in the sun already.

- He'll be riding roundup in a month.
- Good.

He's a lucky man, considering
how bad gut-shot he was.

Hey, you know, maybe I ought to
ride over there a couple of days a week

- and help him out while he's healing.
- That's a good idea.

- Is it all right, Pa?
- Sure.

Hey, good enough.

- Hoss?
- Yeah.

I got a message for
you from the sheriff.

He's sending out a
posse to bring you in.

So 11 men and the
prosecuting attorney

can buy you the biggest
dinner in Virginia City.

- [ALL LAUGH]
- Hey!

Reckon we can get this wagon
fixed before they get here?

Bring that wheel over.

Hoss, I just realized why you
never been found guilty of anything.

What’s that?

The jury was afraid to ask the condemned
man what he wanted for his last meal.

[ALL LAUGH]