Have Gun - Will Travel (1957–1963): Season 1, Episode 10 - The Long Night - full transcript

Bury this man here.

Tell the law about
it if you want.

But don't forget to tell them
what you were about to do here.

Put your hands on
that pommel, Mister.

( laughing): What?

The pommel.

( laughs)

You look behind you, mister,

and it won't be so funny.

Jackson, take his gun.

Now wouldn't you like
to tell me something?



Come on, you are going with us.

Get down.

She's dead.

That supposed to
mean something to me?

What's your name,

your business hereabouts?

Here's my story.

You're a long way
from San Francisco.

I had an assignment
in Fort Worth.

I'm on my way home.

You'll stay awhile.

Sit there.

I'm Andy Fisher.

Paladin. Who's he?



Him?

That's Louis Strome.

Just the biggest man
in the whole entire world.

He owns most all
this Texas panhandle.

Strome... I've heard of him.

You're not with him?

No more than you.

They found me on the road.

Strome's planning a party.

Looks like.

I guess he picked me up to play

while someone's to dance.

Maybe somebody else is to play,

( strums guitar)

and I'm to dance.

( horse neighing)

( guitar strumming)

Say, what's this all about?

Get down off that
horse and get over there.

Now there's been
some mistake, sir.

My name is Broderick,
Clyde Broderick.

For the Sharp's Rifle Company.

I'm the territorial
representative,

salesman, drummer, if you will.

I never carry a weapon.

I never fired one.

Now, when your two gentlemen
there accosted me on the road...

She's dead.

Who's dead?

Shock tactics, Clyde.

You're supposed
to give yourself away

when Mr. Strome
says those words.

Strome?

What would he give
away about himself?

Well, now Mr. Strome,
if I knew that,

I'd be your man, wouldn't I?

But your question...

What would he give
away about himself?

Let me see. You're
obviously looking for a man.

You don't know who he is.

He's in this area,

he rides a black horse.

You have plans for him,
and you think he's responsible

for the death of a woman,

right?

My wife.

He was wearing a black shirt

or a black jacket.

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

Neither do I.

( strums guitar)

One of you is lying.

Well, maybe if you'll
tell us a little more,

the two who aren't lying
could be of some help.

I'll give you a start.

I remember reading
about your wedding.

A little more than two
years ago, wasn't it?

She was a young girl.

A member of an old
Spanish family in San Antonio.

Vasquez.

Maria Felicia Vasquez, right?

I was punching
cows up in San Anton

at the time of the wedding.

It was a big do.

You knew Maria?

You know better than that.

The daughter of Vasquez?

She wouldn't spit on a
$22 a month cowhand.

Everybody in San Antonio knew

of the family, Strome.

That's a prominent family.

Why, I sold her father
two custom-made rifles...

I've had business in San Antonio

several times in
the last two years.

Any one of the three of
us might have met her.

She was my wife.

Mine.

In fact, the land is mine.

In fact, everything
I own is mine.

I know she was seeing a man.

I left the house yesterday
to check my outriders.

I wasn't supposed to
come home last night,

but I changed my mind.

There was a black horse

back of the house
when I rode in.

Maria blew out the lamp

when I stepped
into the living room,

but I caught just
a flash of him.

A flash in the
moonlight on his sleeve

as he was getting
out the window.

It was a black sleeve.

I fired just one shot.

I'd have got him, too,

except Maria
stepped into the path.

It was your bullet
that killed your wife?

She's dead because
of one of you.

I mean to hang that man.

He got away riding West.

A man wearing black,

riding a black horse.

He'd have had to
pass through Hangtown

this morning.

It's the only place he
could have gotten water.

The people in the town
remember only three men

passing through who fit.

Well, now, see here,
it-it couldn't be me.

I was in Hangtown last night.

I stayed in a hotel.

They'll tell you.

Was someone with you all night?

Well, no.

I went to bed early, and...

It's a two-hour ride to
my place from Hangtown.

You could have slipped away

and back, and no one the wiser.

But I didn't!

Where did you spend
the night, Paladin?

Under the stars.

I slept on my saddle.

The same.

Now, Strome, if it's
all the same to you,

I'll be on my way, and I'd
like my weapons returned.

Wait a minute, I'll
ride a piece with you.

You're staying here.

Manuel, fix a fire.

There'll be two of my men
watching you every minute.

You won't be able to see us,

but you can't make a
move that we don't see.

Three men, three
different stories.

It's too bad we haven't
got time to check them.

We're going to have
to do better than that,

or else we'll all haul rope.

Well, I wouldn't say that.

Why, you got something in mind?

Well, they're probably
all asleep now,

except the two guards.

Attack the guards?

Well, we can't
even see out there.

If the fire gets much lower,

they won't be able
to see us, either.

They're not going
to let that fire die.

Well, I certainly hope not.

You always carry that?

Always.

( rustling in brush)

Clyde.

Stay where you are, gentlemen.

My friend has a gun on you.

Well, we got no place to go.

Manuel.

Yes?

Don't alarm your
friend, just call him down.

Hey, Jackson,

come down here.

It's all right.

Yeah?

I think I've got our
man figured out.

Who is it?

Look here.

Just drop the rifle.

Drop it.

All right, come on.

Let's get out of here.

Wait a minute, wait a
minute. We'll need horses.

That means we've
got to take Strome

and the rest of them.

( loud gunshot)

STROME: I didn't mention
that along with the guards,

I'd be watching all night.

( gunshot)

I promise I'll kill the
next man who fires.

Throw down those guns.

If we could just
get to the darkness.

Not a chance, Clyde.

They'd cut us down
before we took two steps.

( gunshot)

STROME: Do you
want it finished now,

or do you want the
four hours till breakfast?

He's going to kill us anyway.

Four hours is four hours.

No odds, Clyde.

No odds at all.

Throw it down.

Now that you've blown off steam,

maybe you'd best get back
to the business at hand.

I never fired a gun before,

but I wish now I'd taken
at least one shot at you.

You certainly don't
want to see daylight.

Why don't you shoot, Strome?

If Manuel hadn't come
in front of the barrel...

Like your wife came
up in front of the barrel?

He told us his wife
moved in front of his bullet.

She moved faster
than his bullet?

That ain't very likely.

It's possible if Strome
was heavy on the trigger,

but we just saw him
hold off on a snap shot.

What else?

PALADIN: Strome, you told us

this man who got away rode off

without ever looking back.

Now, I think if he had
any feeling for that girl,

he'd have looked
back when you shot.

He'd have ridden back

to see if she was hurt.

Are you saying that
this girl is not dead?

No, I think she's dead.

But Strome, how much time
passed after that man got away?

How much time

before you shot your wife?

Why don't you
answer that, Strome?

How much time, Strome?

Maybe a half hour.

You mean you murdered her?

You just shot her
down like that?

Like that.

Just like I'm going
to hang one of you,

or all of you in the morning.

Well, you murdered her.

What do you want from us?

She's dead because
of one of you.

I'll be waiting.

Just call me.

If you want to tell me anything.

Well, it does get
cold out here at night.

( guitar playing wistful tune)

Why don't you stop that?

What else is there to do?

We got company.

Anyone for gambling?

You'll never play
for higher stakes.

What's on your mind, Paladin?

Well, now there's no sense
of all three of us being hung.

And all one has to say
to Strome is, "I'm it."

Well, who's going to say that?

Whoever gets the smallest rock.

I don't want any part of it.

Strome would have
to let two of us go.

Those two could double back

and try and save the
one who had to stay.

Yeah, but suppose he
didn't let one of us go,

or two of us go.

And suppose they
didn't get back in time.

That's two "supposes"

against a surefire,
three-man hanging.

You two take your choice.

Rocks are lined up this way.

I'll take the one that's left.

All right.

You want to go first?

No.

I'll take this one

on... on this end.

I'll take the one on that end.

You win.

That's not funny.

Clyde, you have my word,
as long as I live, you live.

You want to call Strome?

You call him.

Strome!

STROME: Yes?

( horse neighing)

You have something to tell me?

Yes.

I'm listening.

Well, I, uh... you see...

No!

No, I'm not the man.

I didn't know your wife.

I didn't have anything
to do with your wife,

and I'm not going to say I did!

Well, Clyde, you certainly
are a disappointment.

All right, what are you
going to do, kill me?

No.

If that's the truth, Clyde,

you stick with it.

There isn't much time left.

I'm not fooling!

I'll fill those nooses!

Strome, why don't
you content yourself

with one murder this week?

Killing a woman, that's a
big enough chore for you.

And after all, you had
plenty of justification

for killing her.

After all she did to you.

By the way, what did
she do to you exactly?

You tell us the man was there,

but what exactly
were they doing?

She said they were talking.

He was just somebody
she could talk to.

What does a man
talk to a woman about?

All I wanted was his name.

That's all I asked her for.

And you killed her
when she wouldn't tell.

Why didn't she tell

if there was nothing
between them but talk?

Because you would
have killed him!

You wouldn't believe it!

I don't believe it now.

It does happen.

Now, don't be telling
Strome about women.

He knows about women.

Don't let all this upset you.

Here, I'll play you a
song to quiet your nerves

and steady your hand
for the morning's work.

♪ There is a place
that I do know ♪

♪ Where my true love
goes to drink her wine ♪

♪ In her store-bought clothes ♪

♪ And she sits her down
on some brave boy's knee ♪

♪ Now don't you
know that vexes me ♪

♪ And yet she cries,
I love you best ♪

♪ But a troubled mind
can know no rest ♪

♪ For a troubled mind
can know no rest. ♪

You try to ride me, you young...

Young?

Is that the rub, Strome?

I'm young, she's young?

So that puts us together, huh?

Could have been, couldn't it?

Young man, someone
closer to her own age?

It could be a
dandy with a guitar.

A drifter with easy
words and no morals.

That's right.

It could've been me
she wanted to talk to.

And why not?

What would she want with
a vicious old goat like you?

Strome.

It could have been an older man.

Someone who knew the world.

Someone who could
paint word pictures for her

of places she'd never
seen and never would see

locked up in that
big house of yours.

Somebody had to
tell her she was clever,

she was pretty and wanted.

Could have been a
lonely man, Strome.

A man who wandered every place

because he had no place.

He could draw strength from
someone like her loving him.

He'd take more
than he could give,

but he could make
her feel needed

because he'd see her loneliness.

Emanual! Jackson!

Build up that fire.

Get breakfast.

Finish this! Finish this!

I lost my head.

I think you saved my life.

Yeah, for the moment.

Three fools, that's what we are.

Well, I find good
comradeship comforting

in a time like this.

Hurry it up.

Patience, Strome.

I won't keep you long
from your pleasure.

It will be a pleasure.

You had it coming to you.

Well, the man who
killed Maria should hang,

there's no question about that,
and we all know who did that.

That's enough!

Stand up, all of you!

( sighs)

Well, since we must.

You can turn these two loose...

I'm you're man.

You didn't think I'd
let you hang, did you?

I knew it.

What were you to Maria?

Well, Strome, it's a little late

to be worrying
about that, isn't it?

I thought you were so certain.

Just the one rope.

Thanks, Paladin.

I'm... I'm sorry.

Save it.

I'm not the man...
one of you is.

Now my life...

Just don't wait too long.

Come on, Paladin.

ANDY: We don't have to
stand here and watch this.

You'll stay.

Nobody leaves till it's over.

I will not stay here!

We don't need these two.

Is there any special song

I can send you
off with, Paladin?

Anything you like,
but don't wait too long!

( horse neighs)

( horse neighs)

( gunshot)

( gunshots)

( gunshots continue)

I never shot one of
these things before.

Oh, you're doing fine.

( gunshot) Keep it up.

Cover me the best way you can.

( gunshots)

( gunshots continue)

( Strome grunting)

( gunshots)

Hold it.

No more.

You see Andy?

No.

Andy!

ANDY: I'm back
here in the clearing.

I've got Strome.

Come on.

Cut him down.

Move!

Clyde, when this started,
you were going someplace.

( body thuds)

You riding my way?

Well, bye.

I think I'll hold on to this.

( hoofbeats departing)

I loved Maria.

She liked me, that's all.

She needed a friend,
somebody she could talk to.

So once in a while we'd
get together and we'd talk.

But that was all.

He killed her because
she talked to another man.

She was nothing to him.

Just something he owned.

Don't you see, I... I had to
have time to make him pay

for what he did to Maria.

But I swear, I
wouldn't let you hang.

( hoofbeats departing)

You bury him here
and the others.

Tell the law about
this if you want,

but don't forget to tell what
you were about to do here.