Centennial (1978–1979): Season 1, Episode 7 - The Shepherds - full transcript

If the land belonged to
anybody, it belonged to him.

But by 1876, a number of claimants
had pushed into his territory,

made their marks, come and gone.

The Arapaho, Lame Beaver,

Pasquinel and McKeag,
the trappers,

and Pasquinel's half-breed sons.

Others, like the pioneers Levi
Zendt, had planted new roots.

But two new groups were fighting
for domination of the land now:

the men who wanted to
harness the river,

and irrigate the
fields they plowed,

and the men who needed water for the
stock that grazed the open range.



The farmers were led by a stubborn German
from the Volga named Hans Brumbaugh,

and the cattlemen, by the
Englishman, Oliver Seccombe,

who had established the
great Venneford Ranch

with longhorns driven
north from Texas

by John Skimmerhorn and R.J.
Poteet.

It was a time of change
and celebration.

Colorado, the
nation's 38th state,

was admitted to the Union on
the nation's 100th birthday.

The Union Pacific linked the
town to the markets in the East.

And the village, founded 32
years before by Levi Zendt,

got a new name, Centennial.

The next five years was a time of
growing hope, and growing hatred.

Summer, 1881.

Martin, is your papa home?



Yes, sir. He's inside.

What happened here?

Ah, a bunch of drunks went
a little crazy last night.

They were not drunks.

Morning, Mr. Brumbaugh. Clemma.

They were drunks. They
were celebrating.

What? Who knows, who cares?
They were having fun.

It's more than most people
can do around this place.

How much lead you
got in stock, Levi?

Hello, Hans. You say lead?

Bullets. Buckshot.

I'll take a look at
your rifles, too.

It's time my family all
learned how to use a gun.

Hold on, now. What's
eating at you?

Otto Kraenzel's dead.

How?

Gunned down, plowing his field.

Oh, Hans.

"Oh, Hans, oh, Hans."

Does that surprise you, Lucinda?

It was bound to happen.

Kraenzel, me, some other farmer.

Seccombe wants every bit of ground
in Colorado for his damn cows!

No. Seccombe's not behind this.

He's not even here, is he, Levi?

No! No, he's in Omaha.

Who says he has to be here?
Hired killers come cheap.

What about Otto's
wife and children?

They got out. They've gone
to Denver to sell the place.

Within two days, you hear what I say?
It'll be Venneford property.

Hans, it's not Seccombe's way.

You gonna let me look at the guns,
or do I have to go to Denver?

Hans...

Levi, when I was a young man, I
fought Cossacks who took away

what my father had
made for himself.

When I first came to this country, I
bought a farm from a man in Illinois

who didn't own it, and the
sheriff threw me off it.

But I won't leave this place because
some damned Englishman wants it.

It's not a war, Hans.

It's a war as old as
the first family.

Abel was a keeper of sheep, but
Cain was a tiller of the ground.

And Cain rose up against Abel,
his brother, and slew him.

Now is that what
you intend to do?

Is that why you want me to
sell you guns and ammunition?

Levi, I didn't start this
shooting, your side did.

My side?

You helped him get the land he
needed to start his scheme.

And I sold you the land
to get you started, too.

Now, there's room for everyone.

There was room for everyone,

until you helped Seccombe
control six million acres!

Six million?

Check the land office in Denver.
I did.

Well, you think about it.

Better than that, you get your
hat, and you come with me, Levi.

I want you to see something.

There. That's the last of them.

It's Lost Eagle.

The Arapaho chief,

wearing a silly turkey feather,
and being run off his own land.

Doesn't that make you think?

Didn't that even make
you think, when the

people in town changed
the name you gave it,

to Centennial?

It's a good idea, Hans. The
country's had a birthday...

I know the country's had a birthday,
and the state's been born,

but why does that mean
everything has to change?

What's wrong with Zendt's Farm?
I liked it fine.

Well, you're a farmer.
I never liked it much.

Everyone I ever knew with that name was
stingy, or ornery, downright mean.

Except my mother. And she
was born a Spreichert.

Anyway, I don't see
the connection.

Progress, Levi. Progress.

Man tramples over what he thinks
he doesn't need any more.

He chops it down, he grinds
it up, he throws it away,

even if it's his fellow men.

I'm saying I'm not gonna pack
up and leave like Lost Eagle.

Well, he fought once, too.

And maybe he should have
died in that fight,

instead of riding off on
that broken-down horse,

wearing that silly turkey
feather, and that stupid hat.

Hans.

Mr. Zendt, Mr. Zendt.

Excuse me, Mr. Zendt. Those
Indians, what are they?

Arapaho. The last
of the Arapaho.

They headed some
place else to live?

Mmm-hmm, a reservation
in the north.

They're not living,
they're dead.

Sir?

They died making peace. Hans.

You one of those Texans that came
up here with Mr. Skimmerhorn?

Yes, sir.

Hans, this is Jim Lloyd.

This is Mr. Brumbaugh, Jim. He
owns a farm down on the Platte.

Howdy.

Mr. Brumbaugh's a little concerned about
the amount of cattle you've been breeding.

I'm concerned about
the man he works for.

I work for John Skimmerhorn,
and he's a good man.

You draw your pay from Venneford,
you take your orders from Seccombe.

Skimmerhorn does, too.

Well, sir, I don't know Mr.
Seccombe too well,

but if Mr. Skimmerhorn says
he's all right, he's all right.

I think so, too.

You mark my words, Levi Zendt.
That man wants it all.

He wants to change everything.

Now, Hans, you don't know that.

I know, and you know, and
this boy here knows.

Unless we fight back,
it's all gonna change.

I never heard nothing about
any fight, Mr. Brumbaugh.

Well, you're hearing it now. And you can
tell Seccombe like I told him before.

I won't be driven off like them.
Look at them.

They were here for centuries.

They loved this land more
than anybody, depended on it,

and always tried to give
back what they got from it.

Look what happened to them.

Say, friend, I got me some
prime buffalo hides here.

Do you know any
buyers around town?

Calendar?

Nate Person.

Well, my Lord, look at him.

I'll be damned.

Where have you been?

I haven't seen you since
the Venneford drive.

Oh, here, there, roundabout,
you know me, Nate.

Yeah, yeah.

Are you still with Mr. Poteet?

Oh, no, no, no.

I got throwed too many times
off of too many old horses.

I figured I'd better quit while
I could still see straight.

I got me a little livery stable
over there by the hotel, yeah.

I got my wife with me, my
daughter, my two boys.

Well, good.

You remember... You
remember Jim Lloyd?

Sure.

Yeah, well, he's on high horn,
up there at the Venneford place.

Yeah, he's working for Mr.
Skimmerhorn.

No. Yeah.

Bufe Coker's up there, too.

Coker? Yeah.

But how about you, Amos? What have
you been doing with yourself?

Well, I just got back from a buffalo
hunt with a fellow named Fogle.

Buffalo?

Well, kind of a shame to see them old
boys go, ain't too many left around.

Well, it don't pay too bad.

Amos.

How would you like to make
yourself a real living?

Doing what?

Well, now,

I know a man says he's gonna be needing
a couple of hands in a few days.

Might be hard work. Might
even be dangerous.

Nate, it's beginning to sound
better and better all the time.

Yeah, old train's right on time.

Mmm-hmm.

Now, there should be someone
here to meet us. There's John.

Mr. Seccombe. Welcome home.

Come over here, John, I want
you to meet our guests.

A major stockholder from England, Mr.
Henry Buckland.

Mr. John Skimmerhorn,
my foreman.

You live in an amazing country, Mr.
Skimmerhorn.

Mr. Buckland's
daughter, Charlotte.

How do you do?

This is one of our hands,
Miss Buckland, Jim Lloyd.

Uh, be careful with this.

Careful. All right,
you got it, Jim?

There we go.

Mr. Seccombe?

Uh, I didn't wanna say anything
in front of the others,

but, well, the fact is,

we've had a little trouble
here since you've been gone.

A farmer named Kraenzel
was gunned down,

and Potato Brumbaugh is going around
saying it's the start of a range war.

He says the cattlemen will
be after his land next.

He told Levi Zendt that he
figures you're behind it.

Potato Brumbaugh is the
biggest fool in the Union.

Well, I just thought you ought
to know about Kraenzel.

I did know.

His widow put the farm on the market
in Denver. My lawyer wired me.

We own it now.

I see.

John, I heard about a bargain,
and took advantage of it.

You should know me better than to
think I'd ever condone a killing.

Friend, excuse me.

I don't suppose you'd know where a man
can get a room in this two-bit town?

Try the Railway Arms
across the street.

After that, I figured I was stove-up
enough. I didn't see no need...

In front of the hotel. Ain't
that the Pettis boys?

You mean to tell me Frank and
Orvid ain't been strung up yet?

Wonder what they're
doing in these parts.

Last I heard, they was in
Wyoming, killing farmers.

Well, one thing's for sure. They didn't
come down for the scenery. They been hired.

Somebody in Centennial's
planning a murder.

Anybody hungry?

Otto, honey, you eat that.
Thank you!

Give me yours, Clara.

Who's there?

It's John Skimmerhorn, Mr.
Brumbaugh.

You alone?

I'm with him. Jim Lloyd.

You ride quiet, Mr. Skimmerhorn.

Maybe you eat noisy, Mr.
Brumbaugh.

Maybe so, maybe so. Come in.

Thank you.

- Evening.
- Evening.

Clara, bring two extra plates.

No, thank you, Mrs. Brumbaugh,
we really can't stay.

We just came over to... Well...

To what?

We've been talking to Levi Zendt, Mr.
Brumbaugh,

and he told us how upset you
were about Mr. Kraenzel.

I am upset about Otto Kraenzel,
everyone should be upset.

Yes, sir, we are.

Anyway, we just
wanted to assure you

that nobody at the Venneford Ranch had
anything to do with that shooting.

Now, we may disagree
over the fences, but...

Do you know your boss already
bought the Kraenzel farm?

Yes, he told me that,

and he swore to me that he
heard about it by accident.

And you believe it?

I believe that sometimes
you have to trust people.

The barn's on fire! The horses!

Douse the lights!

Cover me.

I'll go with you.

Sweet Sunday, Mr. Brumbaugh,
don't you trust us yet?

How's your shooting?

Fair. Okay,

I got two seconds to get this off.
You cover me.

Orvid! Let's go! Come on, Orvid!

We'll buy more horses.
We'll build another barn,

no matter how many times
they burn us down.

No matter how many times
they burn us down.

No matter how many times
they burn us down.

Well, it isn't exactly
London, or even Bristol,

but we'll do our best to
make your stay comfortable.

Well, I think you've done wonders
way out here in the wilderness.

I must thank Mrs. Seccombe for
the lovely flowers in my room.

There is no Mrs.
Seccombe, Miss Buckland,

but I'll pass your compliments
on to the housekeeper.

Oh, do, please.

Excuse me.

John, where have you been? I'm
expecting you for dinner.

I lost my appetite.

What's happened?

Well, we've just been over
to Brumbaugh's place.

Us, and a couple of night riders,
and about 100 rounds of ammunition.

Come in.

All right, tell me about it.

Well, Jim said it all.
Night riders.

They fired the barn, burned four horses
to death, and shot up the house.

Anyone killed? No.

But I'll never know why.

There's two of 'em, Mr.
Seccombe.

I heard one man call
the other one "Orvid."

The only man I know with a name
like that is Frank Pettis' brother.

Hired killers.

What is this country coming to?

Good question.

Well, at least you were both
there to give him a hand.

Naturally, we'll help rebuild his
barn, give him everything he needs.

Provided, of course,
that he intends to stay.

Mr. Seccombe, you couldn't get
rid of that man with dynamite.

I'm not trying to get
rid of him, John.

No, sir. No, sir, I was using
the "you" in a general sense.

Well, I'll get some men
together tomorrow,

and we'll go over and help
him rebuild the barn.

Wait, no.

Mr. Buckland wants to go and visit the
line camps tomorrow, I'll need you along.

John, are you sure you wouldn't
like to join us for dinner?

I'm sure.

Line Camp Four. Oh.

How absolutely majestic.

Now this is the Colorado
I've always dreamed about.

We're in Wyoming, Miss Buckland.

Well, that's what comes of
underestimating an American ranch.

How many acres do you say we
have, again, Mr. Skimmerhorn?

Oh, well, there's about
six million acres, ma'am.

Six million acres.

Indeed, it's a wonder
we're not in Alaska.

Giddap!

And then, in the spring,
we round up the calves,

and we bring them
here for branding.

Well, it's all most impressive.
Most impressive.

I'm sure Lord Venneford will be just
as enthusiastic about this as I am,

after he hears my report.

The question is, will
Finlay be enthusiastic?

Finlay?

Yeah, Finlay Perkin.

Finlay is... How do
I explain Finlay?

Oh, you can't explain Finlay,

all you can do is accept
him, like the weather.

He's Lord Venneford's head clerk.
Scotsman.

Rather plodding, very stubborn.

One feeds Finlay all
one's information,

and then waits for
the final decision.

For instance, he has given me a list
of the cattle you purchased, Seccombe,

and he's asked me to make
sure that it's all here.

How?

I beg your pardon?

Well, Mr. Buckland, the Good
Lord himself wouldn't know

where all those cattle are
at this moment, or how many.

I don't understand.

Here are two purchases from L.D.
Kane of Wyoming.

11,000 head.

That's book count.

It means that Mr. Kane assumed there were
that many cattle, and that I accepted it.

I mean, after all, they were on the
open range, they were not penned up.

But damnation, man!

John, explain it
to him, will you?

Uh, John is much better at this
than I am, he'll fill you in.

Thank you, lad.

Uh, now you see, Mr. Kane's 11,000
figure is an approximation.

There were two purchases, one
for 5,000, and one for 6,000.

Now, the way it happens, they bring the
cattle into the pen, they're not counted.

The man says, "I have 5,000," and he's
an honorable man, and you believe him.

The other man says, "I have 4,000," and
he's an honorable man, and you believe him.

So, you put them together, that makes
9,000, you pay the man your money,

and then you do
business a month later.

Don't look so worried.

I'm not worried, Miss Buckland.

Charlotte.

How I envy you.

On a day like this, I wish
I could stay forever.

You know, I've always found
cattle absolutely fascinating.

I've noticed in England, the
wise farmers build their stock

from young cows
and proven bulls,

I suppose they do the same...

I believe you're blushing.

Well, I hope you didn't
think that I meant...

Unfortunately, Charlotte,
I'm not a proven bull,

just an old one.

Well, that's ridiculous,
you're not in the least old.

There. Isn't that beautiful?

Oh, Clemma, beautiful
ain't the word.

Jim, don't, people will see.

There's no one around, come on.

Clemma! Clemma, talk to me.

I do talk to you, I talk
to you all the time.

I mean, talk to me about us.

Oh, Clemma, Clemma,
I love you so much.

I've loved you since the
first second I saw you.

I love you so much,
I could just retch.

Well, don't do it here.

You know what's wrong with you?

You don't know your own mind.

Somebody ought to
make you marry me.

I'd like to see somebody try it.

Here, have some of Papa's
whiskey, that'll calm you down.

You do drink, don't you?

Sure I drink.

I'll bet you don't.
Let's both have one.

Clemma.

Oh, I forgot. Indians
aren't supposed to drink,

not in this town.

All they're supposed to do in
this town, is mind their manners,

and step off the sidewalk when a white
man comes walking down the street.

Clemma, put it down. Put it down!
Clemma, put it...

Whoa!

Mr. Zendt?

Uh, Mr. Zendt, you've known
me for quite a while now.

You know I got a good
job at the Venneford,

and I got a little
money saved up.

Mr. Zendt, I wanna
marry your daughter.

I see.

And, uh, what does my
daughter say to that?

She won't take me serious.

Well, Jim, she's very
young, and besides, she...

Ma'am, can't you
reason with her?

Why, I'd marry her
tomorrow if I could.

What's the matter?

Why, that bubble-head ain't about
to marry you, or anybody else.

She's going to St. Louis.

To get an education,
the way I did, Jim.

She won't be gone long, just two years.
She'll be back.

Two years.

What a lovely day this has been.
Thank you, Oliver.

Well, I hope it
wasn't too tiring.

Not all. But then, I'm so
much younger than you.

Thank you again.

Well, the rest of you can stand
here gabbling all night,

I'm going off to bed.

I still don't understand your
book count, Skimmerhorn,

but we'll talk about
it in the morning, eh?

Yes, sir. Good night.

Good night.

Uh, good night.

Charlotte? You coming?

Good night.

John, this list he has
of our cattle purchases,

how many head does
it claim we own?

Just over 42,000 head.

And what's the actual count?

Rough estimation.

25,000.

John, I've never diverted one cent of
Venneford money into my own pocket.

I know that, sir.

They've always demanded cash dividends,
even when there weren't any.

I've had to buy outside cows and sell
them in Chicago, as our own cattle.

It's kept them satisfied,

helped me improve the
ranch, extend it.

I know you'll never
betray me, John,

but I do wish you had a
more grayish outlook.

It's not easy to work with a man who
sees everything in black and white.

Well, sir, it's not easy being a man who
sees everything in black and white.

Good night, sir.

Good night, John.

Hans.

Hans.

I heard about the barn.
It's terrible, I'm sorry.

But, you know, half the people in town
want to help you raise a new one.

I don't need help, and I don't need people.
I'm here to buy horses.

Hey, Bufe, hold on.

Here's a fellow knows
all about horses.

Remember Bufe Coker?

Oh, sure he does. How you doing, Mr.
Brumbaugh?

So, uh, haven't seen you around, Bufe.
How you been?

Oh, I've been all
right, I guess.

Lost my place out to Venneford.

They're cutting down some.

Oh, sorry to hear that.

It's all right, I guess.

I hear Nate Person's
got something for me,

probably working in
a livery stable.

Well, you ought to go
and get your horses.

So, tell me what happened, Hans.

Who do you think it was?

Howdy, Jim.

Bufe, how are ya?

Calendar? Amos Calendar!

I've been great.

How you doing? I'll be damned.

Sit down there, South Calinky.

Just like the old Skimmerhorn
trail crew again, ain't it?

How you doing, Nate?

Uh, pretty good, boy.
How are you?

Oh, I guess I'll live, if you
two fellows buy me a drink.

You're gonna need one.

You're not alone here, Hans. You've got
friends. I count myself one of them.

I don't need friends
straddling the fence, Levi.

You gotta get on one
side or the other.

No, Hans, I'll tell you
what I've gotta do,

I've gotta tear down the fence.

Now, I haven't figured
out a way yet,

but maybe if you help me on
it, we can do it together.

One thing's for sure,
fighting isn't the way.

I hear you looking for a job.

Well, if you're
gonna offer me one.

Two. He already roped me in.

Well, shoot.

I never rightly know
how to put this.

Come on, Nate. You know I don't
much like shooting women and kids,

and I don't like whipping little dogs.
Ain't much else I wouldn't do.

Some folks might think this
is worse than a whipping,

or murder.

There's a man I know who says he's
gonna be needing a couple of hands.

I figure that's me,
you, Calendar.

Holy Moses.

Let me think on this a little.

Give me a fresh one, will you?

Need another?

What I need is a new throat. How
did you learn to drink this stuff?

Hey, Louie, bring the child
a nice glass of warm milk.

Who you calling a child?

You know when this child
killed his first man?

He was riding north on the
Skimmerhorn Trail with R.J. Poteet

when he was 16.

Oh, now, stop it, sport,
you scaring me to death.

Oh, yeah? Well, what's
this do for you?

Well, look at that, they
even fight each other.

All right, that's enough!

What'd I say?

Put it down!

I said, that's all.

You ain't down in the Nations now.
You're in a civilized American state.

What's more, you're in my town.

Long as you stay here,
you're gonna obey the law.

You hear?

They could hear you
in Toledo, Axel.

Well, why didn't you
bust that up, Levi?

I can't come running over here
every time they're having a fight,

I got more important
things to do.

Like what? Arresting
the Pettis boys?

When the Pettis boys commit a
crime, they'll get arrested.

You don't consider
barn-burning a crime?

Farmer's barn, anyway.

Brumbaugh.

Well, I consider it a crime, and
it ain't gonna happen again.

And you can tell that to
your cattleman friends.

I'm here, and I'm
gonna stay here.

And when the smoke settles, it ain't
gonna be me laying on the ground dead.

Not me. Not me.

Whoa.

Papa.

Where are all the field workers?

Gone. Last of 'em
left this morning.

You said the Germans were the best
workers you ever saw. What happened?

What always happens. They
want their own land.

Couldn't you stop 'em?

You didn't help 'em, did you?

Well, I signed a few mortgages.

Well, when a man wants his own land,
he ought to be able to buy it.

Thanks for the water, son.

Here, where are you going?

To work, with you.

What about school?

I don't need school,
I'm a farmer.

You're going to be a lawyer,
and you do need school.

Papa...

Now, son, you listen to me.

The man who knows the
farm controls the crops,

but the man who knows the law
controls the river, and the land,

the Venneford.

I think Seccombe
must have given up.

The Pettis boys are just sitting
around Centennial getting fat.

He'll find something
for them to do.

You don't bring in an infection
without someone getting sick.

You go to school, son.

That's the best thing
you can do for me.

I got about an hour
before the bell.

Uh, Mr. Buckland, I
think we're ready.

Have you got the ring?

Uh, yes. Yes, I do.

It seems strange, going
home without Charlotte.

Oh? You're leaving us, sir?

It's about time,
don't you think?

I'll forget what
England looks like.

You know, I still can't
understand the...

The book count of
yours, Skimmerhorn.

Well, it doesn't matter.

I'll just pass all the
information on to Finlay Perkin,

and let him untangle it.

Look, John, you're married.

Yes.

Tell me something.

Just before the ceremony, did
you get this dreadful urge to

run?

Well, now, that's nothing a
man should be running from.

How do you do, Mr.
Brumbaugh? Hi.

Oh, Mr. Brumbaugh, you ever get a hold
of them new horses you was looking for?

Yeah, I got a couple.

How about you? You, uh...
You land a new job yet?

Oh, yeah.

Uh, Coker, you know, I could use
a strong back out at the farm.

What, hauling taters? No, sir.

I mean, thanks, but my
back ain't that strong.

Besides, I thought you'd
imported all those Germans in.

Gone, gone, all gone.

The Germans,
Wolgadeutsche, Indians.

I think I have the
right idea now.

Oh, what's that?

Nice talking to you, Mr.
Brumbaugh.

Excuse me.

I'm looking for a merchant
named Levi Zendt.

Zendt. I think he has
a store around here.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

This, uh, street is Mountain.
You follow it to, uh, Prairie.

Take a left, and it's the
first building on the left.

Thank you very much.

Are you Mr. Brumbaugh?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, well.

Sabusawa, Japanese
Consulate, San Francisco.

Well, well, well, you made it.

Yes, we made it. We made it.

Name is Takemoto.

Husband. Wife.

Daughter. Son. Son. Takemoto.

Well, well, well.
Welcome to Centennial.

Yeah.

They don't speak English, huh?

No, no. No English.

Direct from Japan.
Excellent workers.

Well...

Well, um, I have my wagon there, and
we'll get your belongings, and we'll go.

So who you working for, Bufe?

Oh, a man name of Garrett,

he's down from Montana.

Uh-huh. What kind of stock's
he bringing in? Longhorns?

You gonna see 'em when
we unload 'em, Earl.

Uh-huh.

Howdy, I'm Messmore Garrett.
Obviously, you're Mr. Person.

Obviously.

Well? Who's gonna
unload my stock?

This here is Amos Calendar.

Amos.

Bufe, let's get to work.

God dang!

Sheep?

Get these sheep out of here!
Get 'em away from me!

I can't see past ten feet!

Somebody help me! I'm gonna...

Nate, have you lost your mind?

You don't herd sheep,
you shoot 'em!

That's my friend!

Get! Get off!

Hey, get these
sheep out of here.

Now, you're making
my sheep nervous.

If there's any further
interference,

there's gonna be a couple of
good citizens around here

with holes in their heads.

Do I make myself
absolutely clear?

All right, let's get
my sheep moving.

Come on!

Whoa.

Mr. Garrett.

Levi Zendt.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.
Zendt.

Whoever you are,
you're a brave man.

Sure you're not afraid of contracting
sheep fever, or something?

Not a bit.

I understand you're trying
to buy some grazing land.

Well, I was trying. I'm
afraid I'm about licked.

Have you ever considered
homesteading?

Land Office keeps
losing my papers.

Could you use 2,000 acres
near Rattlesnake Cliffs?

You're joking.

No, sir, I'm not.

Well, I'm not even gonna ask
you what you want for 'em.

Just the going rate.

Well, Mr. Zendt, it's a deal.

Deal.

It'll take two years for
that grass to come back

after a flock of
sheep's cropped it.

I met this Messmore
Garrett once,

up in Butte.

I thought he had a kind of funny
look in his eye, even then.

Wait. How about blue vitriol?

We could put blue
vitriol on the grass.

Poison a whole lot of sheep but
we wouldn't lose any cattle.

Oliver? What do you think?

I think we may be aiming
at the wrong target.

Oh, Oliver, don't start nattering
on about the farmer again.

It's sheep's the problem here.
Now, it is sheep.

Sheep,

or shepherds?

I'm not absolutely certain I
understand you, old chap.

Oh, just rambling,
Claude, just rambling.

Question is, are the boys
still in Centennial?

What boys?

Oh, the boys.

Mr. Zendt. Mr. Zendt, there's a
terrible rumor going around town,

and I think you ought
to know about it.

What rumor's that, Jim?

Well, some damn fool is saying

that you sold 2,000 grazing
acres to Messmore Garrett.

But I told them, I said, "Clemma
Zendt's father ain't about to..."

But it's true.

It's true?

Yep.

But, Mr. Zendt, Garrett
is a sheepman.

You're letting sheep in here!

Well, the Indians let me in.

It ain't the same thing at all.

Oh, I don't know.

Some of 'em sure must
have been convinced

that I was gonna wreck the land,

but they sold it to me anyway.

They helped me get started.

And I sold some of mine to
Seccombe, to help him get started,

and to Brumbaugh.

Now, how is Garrett
any different?

Sheep are different. A
sheep ain't an animal.

It's a locust with hooves!

They'll ruin the open range. I
don't see how you can do it.

I mean, you own shares
in the Venneford.

You wanna buy 'em?

What?

My Venneford stock is for sale.

You want it?

Well, sure. But...

Don't worry about payment,
we'll take care of that later.

Well, Mr. Zendt, I don't
know what to say.

Well, there's a miracle.

Usually, you can't shut this boy
up once he opens his mouth.

Howdy, Jim. Morning.

Jim, I'd like you to meet
my nephew, Christian Zendt.

Jim Lloyd. Mr. Lloyd.

Pleasure. Same here.

I don't suppose you'd be acquainted
with any Indians, would you, Mr. Lloyd?

All the ones I wanted to talk
to, they seem to be gone.

Oh, that's funny. I seem
to have the same problem.

Mr. Zendt. Mr. Zendt, I've
been meaning to ask you.

Did you ever hear anything from St.
Louis?

Not directly.

Well, I can't understand it.

I mean, I write, but I must
have the wrong address.

Right address, wrong girl.

Martin.

Pa, he's gotta know sometime.

Your sweet little girlfriend,
my sweet little sister,

she ran off with an Army officer.
She's pregnant.

Nobody knows where they went to.

Well, I have some
studying to do.

Excuse me.

I'm sorry, Jim.

Yes, sir. I'm sorry, too.

We'll get together about
those shares next week.

All right?

Yeah. Thank you very much.

Whoa, whoa.

I'll arrange a line of
credit for you with Zendt.

You can pick up whatever you need
and get back to the canyon today.

All right, boss.

I see it, but I
don't believe it.

Might as well, Jim.

You must be crazy,
working with sheep.

I'm working with a good man,
and that's what counts.

Garrett?

He's as good a man as R.J.
Poteet.

Maybe better.

I just wonder how
you sleep at night.

Times change, Jim.

They sure do.

I guess there's no
way in the world

you can change 'em
back again, is there?

No way in the world.

Okay, this is a hoe.

Hoe.

That's right. This is a hoe.

And all that is field.
All the field.

Field? Yeah, that's
right, field.

Now... And this is a plant.

Plant. Plants, yeah.
Plants, plants.

Okay, excuse me.

The trouble, you see...

The trouble is, there're too many plants.
You understand?

No, never mind. You don't...

I'll tell you... Plant.

That's a plant, yeah. Now,
you thin the plant...

See how you thin them? Like that, you
thin them. That's good, Takemoto.

That's good. Okay, now...

That's good. Now...
Yeah, that's good.

Now, what I want you to do...

Uh, uh, what I want you to do...

You see, all I want you to do...

Oh!

That's... That's good.
That's... That's...

That's...

That's what I want
you to do, yeah.

What do you know?

Well, well, well, I
see you found him!

Yes, sir, sure did.

Well, I didn't think you'd
mind another jobber, Levi.

What's he selling, women's shoes?
Good whiskey?

No, better than that. Memories.

Memories?

Oh, come on, Hans. Look at the
eyes, the shape of the head.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, meet my nephew, all the way
from Lancaster, Christian Zendt.

Hans Brumbaugh. How do you do?

Well, well, by golly! All the
way from Lancaster! Yes, sir.

Oh, he's a college man. Came out
here to study Indian tribal law.

Indian? Oh.

The family didn't know if Uncle Levi
was alive, dead, married, single.

So when I found out his wife was a real
Indian, I couldn't believe my luck.

Wait till the family finds out.

Oh, come on, it'll do 'em good.

If they don't all keel
over in a common fit.

Anyway, he said he wanted to
talk to somebody about the land,

so I thought, "Well,
I'll show him a man

"who came out here to
take something out of it,

"and stayed to plant it
and tend it instead."

Well, there's a few of us left,
in spite of the Venneford.

Hans, listen, I don't think
they're gonna have any time

to be bothering you
people any more.

Did you hear what happened?

No, I can't say that I did.

A fellow named Garrett
brought in some sheep.

Sheep?

Those ranchers are half
out of their minds.

Why didn't I think of that?

Except that they're gonna
be rougher on sheep

than they ever were on
fences, ain't they?

Howdy, Amos. Jim.

Mr. Skimmerhorn. Hello, Amos.

You're Seccombe, ain't you?

I am.

And you're trespassing, Mr.
Calendar.

Get your stinking
animals out of here.

How could I be trespassing
when this is open range?

You don't know the
law, my friend.

Did you ever hear of the
doctrine of contiguity?

It holds that a rancher
has the right to run

his cattle on any part
of the open range

contiguous with
his own holdings.

That means, next to his
own holdings, Amos.

South to Mexico,
north to Canada.

South to Mexico,
north to Canada.

Now, Amos, we're trying
to reason with you.

And we expect you to be gone
from here by noon tomorrow.

Expect what you want. I'm staying till Mr.
Garrett tells me to move.

You're making a terrible
mistake, my friend.

We'll see.

Yes, we will.

Amos. Amos.

I'm staying.

Where are the rest of them?

With Bufe Coker,
in Crow's Canyon.

Mr. Seccombe... Is he alone?

No, sir, he's got
a woman with him,

Fat Laura, out of Ida Hamilton's
House of Mirrors in Cheyenne.

And he's built her
a shack up there.

Homesteading? In cattle country?

Where's Coker?

Back in the canyon
with the sheep.

He'll have to leave. Tell him.

Not bloody likely. We're
homesteading this place.

There's no room here for
sheep, or Cheyenne harlots.

You tell him to get out, or
suffer the consequences.

Blow it out your fancy
nose, Englishman.

Why on God's green earth would
anyone want to raise sheep?

Can you tell me that?

You know, it's the
Bible that bothers me.

I mean, Abraham was a shepherd,

David was a shepherd,
Joseph was a shepherd.

Yes, but when Our Lord was born,

you didn't find Him
looking for a sheep pen.

He was born with the
cattle, where He belonged.

Hear, hear.

Speaking of shepherds,

I understand one
of Garrett's men

has actually built a
home near Crow Canyon.

Home? It's a hovel.

We can't have that, can we?

I thought we were going
to get rid of them.

I thought you were
going to handle it.

I rode out there. I
wanted to try reason.

You can't reason with a maniac.

You have to overcome a maniac.

For his own good. I know.

The point, Oliver... I
said, I know, Claude.

It's being taken care of.

You got it?

Set it right here with
the rest of them.

Easy, now.

Well, that's the lot.

Thanks for your help.

Where do you want
them, the storeroom?

In a while.

Have some lemonade first.

Ah, nectar!

Levi, you should be
ashamed of yourself.

This boy comes all the way
out here for a vacation,

and you put him to work.
Well, he asked!

Yeah, that's a fact.

Besides, how else can I
ever repay you people?

For what?

For everything.
Introducing me around,

telling me about the old
days, the Indians...

The Pasquinels. Who?

Martin.

The Pasquinels.

You mean, you never heard of the
Pasquinels? Jacques and Marcel?

Yes, as a matter
of fact, I have.

I remember reading some
stories about them.

They were great men.
They were my uncles.

Lucinda, why don't you tell
him about Lame Beaver?

I have.

Well, did you tell him
about the sun dance?

No. What was the sun dance?

I'm sorry.

No. It's not your
fault, Christian.

You see, stories like

the one I asked Lucinda
to tell, they're...

Well, they're nothing more
than fairy tales to Martin.

The fact...

The pain that he
sometimes feels,

most of the time, I suppose,

is he's what too many people
still call a half-breed,

and they treat him like
he's less than half a man.

I didn't think he...

I didn't know.

That's all right.

Maybe someday it'll
be different.

Go on, Lucinda. Tell him
about the sun dance.

No, I... I think I should
spend some time with Martin.

Excuse me.

That's a remarkably
nice young man.

Yes.

Yes, sorry to see him leave.

Levi, why don't you go with him?

Where?

Home.

Well, this is my home.

Levi, it's been so long.

Maybe things have changed there.

Don't you want to see the
rest of your family again?

No.

No!

You know what you are, Axel?

You're a blasted stubborn fool.

Sheriff! Just a minute,
I got the floor.

You're like the farmer who won't fix the
hole in the barn roof until it rains,

and then, by God, he won't
take his tools out,

because he doesn't
wanna get 'em wet.

What's the matter
with you, anyhow?

You got eyes. You see those
murderers strutting around here...

I've told you 1,000 times, I can't
arrest a man till he commits a crime.

What two murderers?

The Pettis boys.

Howdy, Mr. Brumbaugh. Nate.

Like you to meet my new boss, Mr.
Garrett.

Oh, oh! So, you're Garrett.

So, you're Brumbaugh.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I've heard
some good things about you.

Good things?

Yeah. You been setting this
town back on its heels.

I've heard the same about you.

Yeah, well, welcome
to the party.

You here to complain, too?

You're damn right I'm
here to complain.

A fella named Seccombe has been
threatening my sheep herders,

I want it stopped.

Well, what's he
threatening to do?

Quit it, Sheriff.

I didn't know the Pettis
boys was still in town,

that kind of makes the cheese a
little more binding, don't it?

They cattlemen?

They're... They're hired killers. I
hope your shepherds know how to shoot.

Well, we outshot
'em once already,

when they hit the herd we was
bringing north with R.J. Poteet.

Are you gonna help?

Well, if a crime's committed,

I'll go out and
bring the man in.

Ah!

That's what I get paid for.

I'll tell Calendar.
You warn Coker.

Right.

Mr. Brumbaugh.

Fool. I said I'd do what I can.

Yeah, then we'll have to
do what we have to do.

Who is that?

Woman he brung up

from the House of
Mirrors in Cheyenne.

Maybe this will bring old Coker
in to see what's going on.

Bufe!

Now, what the hell is that?

Where's your man, Laura?

Back in the canyon with the sheep.
What's wrong?

Well, I guess I'd
better go find him.

Orvid, you take the nigger.

Laura? Come on!

Laura?

You're gonna be just fine. I'm right here.
You're gonna be fine.

Where'd you come from?

Mr. Garrett sent me to tell you
the Pettis boys was on the prowl,

which I guess you
figured out by now.

It had crossed my mind.

Somebody watch the windows.

She's the only one thinking.

Cold, ain't it?

How's that?

I'm sure scared, Bufe.

What, of them?

If you just give me a
minute to catch my breath,

we'll run them off,
get you to a doctor.

You're gonna be fine.
Yes, you are.

Brother, this just
ain't our day.

It's early yet.

We sure did have a good time up here
these last few weeks, didn't we?

This is the first real
home of my own I ever had.

Oh, well, you wait
till we fix it up.

Tell me what we're gonna do.

Well, I'm gonna get you
some real nice material,

and you can make curtains
for all the windows.

We'll have a rug...

Pictures. Oh, yeah.

Pictures on every wall.
And a stove.

Good cook stove, not an
old clunk like this one.

A big round table
with six chairs,

so we can have our
friends over...

Laura?

Honey?

She was a good woman, Nate.

I could tell.

Remember that first day we met?

I remember.

You, lugging that Yankee
saddle into Jacksborough.

I thought those was tough times.

More and more, they seem like
they was some of the best.

Where they at?

Straight ahead, about 200 yards.

Behind some rocks,
with Winchesters.

They sure got the
edge, ain't they?

Nate?

I know.

You got any regrets?

The life I've lived?

Beats hoeing cotton all day,

seeing nothing but
another long row ahead.

And how about you?

Oh, one, I guess, maybe.

Still some horses I
ain't never rode yet.

What's he done, gone crazy?

Get him, get him!

It's gonna be a corker.

Looks like.

Calendar. What in the
hell are you doing here?

Bufe's dead.

What?

And Nate Person.

No. How'd it happen? Where?

Up at Bufe's shack. They was
gunned, Fat Laura, too.

Who done it?

Who do you think done it?

Nobody from Venneford.

Same thing, Frank
and Orvid Pettis.

They don't work here, Amos.

Garrett sure ain't paying 'em,

not for murdering Nate and Bufe,

shooting sheep in the canyons
till their shells run out.

You're saying it's Seccombe?

I ain't alone.

But I have to know,
Jim, am I riding alone?

Riding where?

River's Edge. That's where the
Pettis boys are holed up.

That ain't gonna
stop nothing, Amos.

This here is a regular
range war now.

The hell you say!

This ain't no damned cowman-sheepman
foolishness anymore, Jim.

Bufe Coker's dead.
Nate Person's dead.

And they was our
brothers, weren't they?

Jim, any man that rode through
what we did, coming north,

together with Skimmerhorn and
Poteet, is as much a brother

as you and I are
ever gonna have.

Wasn't they?

I'll get my gun.

What's up?

Somebody following us?

Maybe. Maybe not.

You make him out yet?

Nope.

Maybe we'd better wait.

Yep.

Good afternoon, boys.

What are you doing
up here, Brumbaugh?

Same as you, going
after the Pettises.

Why?

Because it's time.

And because that young
fellow up there

helped me once when I needed it.

I brought my shotgun.

I reckon we can use all
the firepower we can get.

Can't we, Jim?

You sure it's them in there?

Them and a couple of boys that's
been night-riding in Wyoming.

I'll make sure that Frank and Orvid
are in there before we go barging in.

Fish in a rain barrel.
No problem.

Where they at?

It'll be a straight-on shot. They
both got their backs to the door.

Amos, I don't shoot
no man in the back.

You won't have to.

I mean it, Amos. I don't
care what they done.

Jim. They'll turn, I promise.

All right.

Who takes who?

I'll take Frank, he'll
be on the left.

They're both mean, both fast.

The other ones, too.

We're only gonna get one whack at
'em, so we gotta make it count.

Ready?

Yeah.

No change.

Frank's on my left, Orvid's
right next to him.

I'll take the door.

When he kicks in the door,
you take the window.

I'm gonna knock out this side
window and yell, to turn 'em.

Good luck.

Well, I think they ought
to raise a statue

to whoever got rid
of those vermin.

Somebody said they were gonna close
the school and declare a holiday.

The whole town's celebrating.

See, that's the trouble
with being a lawman.

All you gotta do is walk in a
room, and everybody shuts up.

Good morning, Sheriff.

Morning, ma'am.

Levi. Axel.

I suppose you've heard
about the little accident

that befell the Pettis boys.

I believe I did hear
something about that, yes.

You wouldn't happen to know where your
friend Brumbaugh was yesterday, would you?

You ask him?

He claims he was in the bosom of
his family reading the Good Book.

Well, he probably was. He's a
real good family man, all right.

Well, you're an
honest man, Levi.

You heard any little bits of
news I ought to know about?

Hmm.

People don't tell an honest
man much these days, Axel.

Nothing about some young
cowboy from Venneford,

kinda sweet on your daughter?

Jim Lloyd? Mmm.

Nope.

Well, let me tell you
folks something.

What happened to the
Pettises was murder,

and I'm opposed to murder.

It don't ever solve anything,
it just makes more trouble.

You see, pretty soon
somebody's gonna hire a killer

to kill the hired
killers' killers,

and then somebody's
gonna take care of him.

And it'll just go on and on.

And we can't afford that,

'cause the times have changed.
It's a new day here.

And either we're gonna have
law and order in Centennial,

or we're gonna have us chaos.

Ain't that what the whole
town's celebrating, boy?

Well, I better start packing

if I'm gonna catch that train.

I'll help. Thanks.

I guess I have to tear
down my imaginary statue.

Axel's right. It's a new day.

Makes a man feel old.

You'll never be old.

Lucinda, I've been thinking.

If you're sure that
you wouldn't mind...

You wanna go home for
a while, don't you?

I sure don't know why.

Don't ask why, just go.

You got your ticket?

My what? Your ticket.

I got it right here.
I'll hold it for him.

Maybe you'd better hitch him
to your belt, Christian,

or you'll lose him in Chicago.

What's that mean?

You change trains in Chicago, Mr.
Zendt.

We already told you that, Pa.

It's Centennial to Omaha to
Chicago on the Union Pacific.

Then you change stations and take
the Pennsylvania to Lancaster.

Be there in no time.

New day is right. It took me
six months to get out here.

Goodbye, Levi, and don't worry.

Hans.

Jim. Mr. Zendt.

Son, take care of your mother.

I will.

I'll miss you.

Go on.

Oh, Ma. He'll be back
before you know it.

Must be strange going back
from where you come from, huh?

Well, it's time to get on home.

Yeah.

Beautiful day, ain't it?

Well, that depends on your
individual system, Axel.

Seems pretty cool to me.

Seem cool to you, Jimmy?

Oh, I'll warm up, soon
as I get me some supper.

Excuse us.

Brumbaugh, your youngest
boy can't seem to recall

your being home reading
the Good Book last night.

Oh, kids.

Who can figure what they'll
remember, and what they'll forget.

Nobody can remember where you
disappeared to yesterday, Jimmy.

Went fishing.

Ain't much of an alibi.

Well, Sheriff, are you accusing me
of something I'd need an alibi for?

You know as well as I do,
I can't bring no charges

unless I got a reliable witness.

What are you saying?

I'm talking about
murder and revenge.

I had a little talk with
Oliver Seccombe today.

He's just sort of starting
to get the picture.

He's kind of getting
it clear in his mind

that a society either
grows or else it dies.

Ain't no way you can
ever keep it the same.

So, all you can do is just grow along
with it, or else you die with it.

Now, Centennial here,
is still growing.

Gonna have a lot of
growing pains, though.

Gonna have more people
coming in here all the time,

all of 'em fighting
for a piece of land.

So you're gonna have
a lot more fights,

but like I say,
this one is over.

You farmers,
sheepherders, cattlemen,

you're just gonna have to figure out
some way to live together in peace.

I mean, either that, or you're
gonna have yourselves martial law.

But you do get to
take your pick.

Well, peace is all I've
ever asked for, Sheriff.

Yeah.

Well, right now I'd settle
for a little supper myself.

Wind's rising.

Yeah, yeah.

He's right about
one thing, though.

It is a beautiful day.