Tall Man Riding

Whoa.

Hyah!

Hyah!

Keep your head down.

Uh, some of the young hotheads among the settlers

tried to jump me.

What for?

It's the same old trouble

between the plowman and the cattleman.

Anybody from Warbonnet Ranch

isn't popular around Little River.

Warbonnet?

What do they call you, mister?

Willard. Rex Willard.

Tuck Ordway's son-in-law.

You know Tuck?

Yeah, I know him.

Come on, we gotta get outta here.

I don't remember ever seeing you around here before.

Get up behind me.

Whoa.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Warbonnet's gate lies back this way.

I know it, and they know it.

What would you do if you were in their boots

and lost a Warbonnet man you were hunting?

Where would you go to head him off?

You got me pegged as an Easterner

a fool who can't think right in this kind of country.

I didn't say it, mister.

You did.

There's your fence line.

I'd like to know your name.

In case you ever need a friend, I--

Madden. Larry Madden.

Just get this straight, mister.

I hate your guts or anyone else connected with Warbonnet.

I bought in before I knew who you were

but I'm glad I did, so's you can tell Tuck Ordway I'm back.

You can tell her that, too.

Whoa.

Some of that cloverleaf.

Five.

- Hello, Larry. - Howdy.

What's it been, good luck or bad since we last saw you?

Ooh, a little of both.

Been about three years, huh, Larry?

Five.

Ames Luddington, Larry Madden.

How do you do?

Very glad to know you.

I'm Reva.

Glad to know you, miss.

Oh, yes, Reva.

I didn't mean to neglect you, my dear.

I'm getting used to it.

She sings here for Sebo.

Then I've got something to look forward to.

It's nice to hear a gentleman talk for a change.

'How many?'

'I'm good.'

'Two.'

I see you did alright for yourself, Jeff.

What do you mean?

Wearing that deputy doodad.

You must have been a big help to Sebo to earn that.

You looking for trouble, Larry?

You'll know when I am.

Ten.

Who's the slick kid wearing out those coins?

Him?

He's the Peso Kid.

He's handy to have around.

I'll bet he is, especially with your back turned.

How 'bout sitting in, Madden?

'Too tired.'

I'm going to the hotel and shakedown for the night.

Nothing's changed much.

You're even using the same cheap-smelling toilet water.

You never did like that, did you?

It'll never take the place of a bath.

Goodnight, gentlemen.

Reva.

Larry..

Have a drink.

It might interest you to know

that we've got the Warbonnet outfit on the run.

I'll believe that when I can see it.

Old Tuck Ordway hasn't showed his face

in Little River for over a year.

Not only that, there are homesteaders

located half the length of the valley.

And I'll bet every one of 'em paid you to locate the land

to say nothing of what you can squeeze out of 'em

in this whiskey mill.

I'm a businessman, Larry.

If I can make it two ways instead of one, all the better.

'You got a stake?'

'What difference does it make?'

I can use a rider who can be frisky with a gun

when he needs to be.

I'll give you fighting pay and found.

How 'bout it?

I'd sooner herd sheep.

We both carry the same marks, Larry.

Ordway's marks.

That's the only thing we've ever had in common.

Why should I tie in with you?

At least I'd be more faithful to you than..

...Corinna was.

Not here.

Come in.

What'd he clip you for?

Oh, about $80, I guess.

That girl Reva, she wasn't standing behind you

just to stroke your hair.

I know. But the best place to hear things is at a poker game.

Looked at the register, saw that you got in ten days ago.

Yeah. We left enough spread between us

to keep anybody from asking questions.

Okay, let's have it.

Well, I had to go all the way to Washington

to find that chink in Tuck Ordway's armor

you were looking for.

I had to be a detective first and a lawyer afterward.

What'd you find out?

Great news, Larry. Better than I hoped for.

Ordway doesn't own an inch of that land.

'No, not legally.'

What are you talking about?

His patent to the land is filed in the Sentinel County records.

'That's right.'

But it was filed there by the county homestead committee

and Washington doesn't recognize the legality

of any of those committees.

Ordway thought he was safe

'but he didn't file with Washington.'

Then Warbonnet's actually public domain, is that it?

Sure.

I spoke to a federal marshal when I was back east

and he said he'd throw Ordway off the land

and open the land for filing.

Good work, Ames.

That means I'm set to get him one way or the other.

What do you mean, one way or another?

I wanna look at Tuck Ordway through gun smoke first.

If I bring him down, I don't need your marshal.

Uh, from what I hear

there isn't a faster man with a .45 than Tuck Ordway.

Suppose he brings you down, what then?

You can send for that marshal and have him throw Ordway off.

Alive or dead, I mean to get him.

Why not get back at him

make a profit out of it at the same time?

I came back for Ordway's hide, not his home.

What if Pearlo should find out about this?

If he hasn't found out about it yet

he isn't going to

not if you keep your mouth shut.

I've waited five years to get even

pounding leather, wrangling in four states

to pile up enough money to get a lawyer like you

to find out everything I could to pay Ordway back..

...in my own way.

Like you said, you're paying me.

The man who pulls Tuck Ordway down off of his rawhide throne

is going to be me.

Who killed him?

He said the Warbonnet gang ambushed him.

Violent country.

One thing you never told me, Larry

why do you hate Ordway so much?

I'll show you something.

Pull this shirt down.

Holy..

How'd you like to be driven down this street

with a man laying a whip across your back?

Tuck Ordway?

He had some of his men hold me

while he took a whip to me.

And on top of that, he..

He stomped on my gun hand.

I couldn't use it for months later.

Well, for goodness' sakes, why?

I've told you all you need to know.

I hear Sebo Pearlo carries the same marks you do.

Well, he's after the same thing you are. Ordway.