The Man from Laramie

The man from Laramie

Oh, he was friendly

To everyone he met

No one seemed to know

A thing about him

He had

An air of mystery

He was not inclined to speak his mind

The man from Laramie

Hah!

Ho! Oh. Oh.

We'll make camp here for the night.

I'd go a couple more miles before sundown.

- We'll camp here. - You're the boss.

Come on, Mr. Lockhart. Grub time.

All right. I'll be along.

Standing here thinking about it won't bring him back.

Nah. But it reminds me of what I came here to do.

Hate's unbecoming in a man like you.

On some men it shows.

Aw, come on, Mr. Lockhart, let's have some coffee.

All right. All right, I'll be along.

Whoa!

Well, here we are.

You want something?

I got three wagonloads of supplies outside from Laramie.

Laramie? How you get through?

I guess we were lucky. Where do you want them unloaded?

I don't know.

Well, who does? Where's the boss?

- Upstairs. - Oh.

Anybody home?

Oh, excuse me, ma'am. Excuse me.

I'm looking for the owner of the mercantile.

I'm the owner.

Oh, well. I see. Well, I have three wagonloads...

- of supplies for you outside... - Oh, no.

I was hoping those supplies would never arrive.

Well, I thought you'd be anxious to get these goods.

They're paid for. You seem to need 'em.

I was all sold out and hoping I could stop being a storekeeper.

Well, sorry to disappoint you, ma'am. Where do you want the supplies unloaded?

- Would you like a cup of tea? - What? Oh.

Well, it's a long time since I've had tea with a lady.

It'd be kind of nice.

- Pull up a chair. - Thank you.

- What's your name? - Will Lockhart, ma'am.

Mine's Barbara Waggoman. Do you take sugar?

Mmm, yes, when I can get it.

You know, I've been in rooms like this before, but not in this part of the country.

My father brought these things from our home in Connecticut.

Oh. A man of very fine taste, I'd say.

Father had an appreciation for fine living.

But he wasted it in this store, emptying flower barrels and measuring cotton cloth.

I see.

There must be more to life than emptying barrels of flour.

Yes, I'd say so.

I've wanted to leave Coronado ever since my father died,

but the stage for Santa Fe stopped running because of the Apaches.

- Mm-hmm. - Did you have any trouble getting here?

- No, we came from Laramie. - Oh, is that your home?

No, ma'am. No, I...

I can't rightly say any place my home.

But everybody should have some place to...

to remember and feel like they belong to.

Well, I... I always feel I belong where I am.

Must be wonderful to feel like that.

Oh, is there any place around town my men and I can find rooms?

- Right over the café. - Oh. Fine.

Well, I guess I'd better start unloading those supplies.

We'll unpack them all and get them into the shelves for you.

- Thanks for the tea, Miss Waggoman. - You're welcome, Mr. Lockhart.

- Bye. - Bye.

- Sell very many of these repeating rifles? - No. Too much money.

- Where'd you get this one? - Indian traded it for supplies.

Mm-hmm. I wonder where an Indian would get a rifle like this.

He don't say. I don't ask.

Suppose you come out and help the fellas unload this stuff, huh?

- They tell me you're from Snake River. - Yeah.

Well, we expect an honest deal here.

Just had one. I hope we get another one.

I do too, if the work is right.

- Pass. - I can't open.

See ya in a minute.

- Good evening, Miss Waggoman. - Good evening, Mr. Lockhart.

It's a nice evening.

You're the only one in town I know to talk to.

- Maybe you can help me. - How can I help you?

Well, I just hate to make that trip back with three empty wagons.

I sort of thought maybe you could tell me where I could pick up a load of freight.

- There's some salt lagoons nearby. - Is that so?

They're awful close to Apache land.

Well, is this salt free for the taking, you know?

Well, it always has been.

Well, we could harvest it ourselves then, couldn't we?

Mr. Lockhart, you were lucky to get this far without Indian trouble.

If I were you, I'd head back to Laramie while the trail's still clear.

Yeah, guess you're right about that.

- Good night, Mr. Lockhart. - Good night, Miss Waggoman.

- Uh, Miss Waggoman? - Yes?

Uh, that shipment I delivered to you... Is everything all right?

- Yes, everything was there. - Uh-huh.

Well, I just wanted to make sure.

- Good night again, Mr. Lockhart. - Good night.

Good night.

Visitors!

Do we fort up or run?

Ah, just keep diggin' salt.

If they're from town, they're not Apaches.

Who's running this bunch of thieves?

These men work for me, if that's what you mean.

- What's your name? - Will Lockhart. What's your name?

That's the only introduction you need, mister.

That's mighty fancy. What's it mean?

It means we're Barb riders. That's Barb salt you're stealing.

- I was told this salt's free for the taking. - It ain't, not to strangers.

Looks like I was told wrong. If there's any charge, I'll pay for it.

You can't buy your way out of this.

It's only salt the stranger has taken. It'd be different if it was cattle.

If we don't teach him a lesson now, how do we know what he'd steal next time?

Any man says I'd rustle cattle is a liar.

No need for that, Charley. And no need for your gun either, mister.

Spud, let's see how good you can use that rope.

Go ahead, Spud!

Hyah! Hyah!

Jerk him down again if he needs it!

- Burn his wagons! - What...

I think I'll try your new model gun on your mules.

A man without wagons don't need mules.

- You're gonna shoot those mules? - Ha ha! Anybody invite them on Barb land?

Why, you...

Hold it there!

- Come here, boys, let's finish the mules. - Hold it, Dave!

- I don't need any help to finish this. - Your old man asked you...

- to stay out of trouble. - I'm in no trouble, he is!

Trespassing and stealing salt!

You burned his wagons and killed his mules over a load of salt?

- Get out of here! - Give me that gun!

Now, get back to the ranch!

You're forgetting your place, Vic.

You only work for my father. That means you work for me too.

I don't want to cross you, Dave. I'm just telling you for your own good.

Now, take the boys and get back to the ranch!

Say please.

Please.

You turn up around here again, you won't need mules to carry away!

All right, let's go!

Come on!

- I want to thank you, mister. - This your gun?

- Yeah. - I'm sorry about this.

I figure you've kind of had your belly full of these parts...

and be anxious to get out of here.

No, I figure this place owes me something, and I'm gonna make it pay.

Let me straighten you out, mister.

We got enough trouble around here with the Apaches and young Dave.

Now, don't you go startin' any.

Well, that's what I owe you, boys, with a little extra, to get you back to Laramie.

Good luck to you.

- Thank you. - Good seein' you, Lockhart.

- So long. - So long.

Well it looks like the end of our freight line, doesn't it, Charley?

- Here you are. - How about you, Mr. Lockhart?

You headin' back to Fort Laramie?

- Fort Laramie? - Ain't that where you come from?

I come from Laramie. I didn't say anything about a fort.

I figured you were an army man.

No, I'm headin' back to town.

I like workin' for you, Mr. Lockhart. I sort of hate to leave you.

Well, maybe this won't be the kind of work you like.

If it's got anything to do with who's selling...

repeating rifles to the Apaches, I'd like to help.

I've got a personal stake in finding this man, Charley. What's yours?

I've always been a nosy man.

While you're going into town, maybe I'll head up north and poke my big nose around.

Up north? That's Apache land up there.

In my case, that's not so dangerous. My mother was one.

I've got a lot of relatives up there.

I might pick up a little information.

What are you sticking your neck out for, Charley?

I'm a lonely man, Mr. Lockhart. So are you.

I don't suppose we spoke ten words coming down here.

But I feel that I know you, and I like what I know.

All right, Charley.

All right. Come on, I'll help you up on that mule.

Sure.

There we go.

- See ya. - Seeing ya.

- Why, Mr. Lockhart. - Good evening.

Thought you'd gone back to Laramie.

Well, I had a little mix-up with some gentlemen from the Barb Ranch.

- They accused me of trespassing. - Trespassing?

Just who does own those salt lagoons, anyway?

I suppose they are part of the Barb,

but nobody's ever made a point of it before.

Uh-huh. Well, they sure made a point of it this afternoon.

They burned my wagons and shot my mules.

They seemed to know exactly where to find me too.

There's no reason you should blame me for what happened.

I warned you about the lagoons.

You warned me about the Apache. You didn't mention the Barb.