"ROUGHSHOD" Screenplay by Hugo Butler & Geoffrey Homes Story by Peter Viertel EXT. DESERT - DAWN FULL SHOT. The sun, spinning up from behind the dark rim of eastern hills, is bleaching the cloudless, morning sky. This is volcanic country, barren, desolate, forbidding. There is no sign of life, no sound. Then on a distant hill, a man appears, to be followed by two others. They walk steadily forward. DISSOLVE EXT. NARROW CANYON - DAWN MED. SHOT. A dry watercourse threads its way through the cut in the treeless hills. The sun is not high enough as yet to drive night from the canyon. A man appears around a bend; another and still another. They are McCall, Peters and Lednov, clad in prison clothes, hatless, their heads closely cropped. As Lednov's face comes into a closeup, DISSOLVE EXT. HILL - DAWN LONG SHOT - DOWN ANGLE. A narrow valley lies below. Through it runs a cottonwood-bordered stream. Smoke curls up out of the trees. Horses graze in a small meadow near the creek. From O.O. comes the SOUND of heavy boots crunching across the dry, eroded earth. The three men file past camera to stop in the immediate F.g. and look down into the valley. They exchange glances and start down. DISSOLVE EXT. FORSTER CAMP - DAWN MED. SHOT - ANGLED THROUGH willows. A bearded man, Cal Forster, and two young fellows in their late teens squat beside a campfire eating breakfast. O.s. there is the SOUND of movement. Lednov moves cautiously into the scene. He has a revolver in his hand. Forster turns toward camera and fear comes into his expression. Lednov fires. Forster crumples near the fire. The two boys jump to their feet and reach for rifles. Lednov fires again and again. McCall and Peters come into the scene, both firing revolvers. DISSOLVE EXT. FORSTER CAMP - DAWN MED SHOT - ANGLED ACROSS campfire. On the fire smoulders the prison clothes the convicts had worn. Smoke spirals up. In the B.B. Lednov, Peters and McCall, now wearing the clothes of the three Forsters, saddle the horses. CAMERA PANS AROUND and ANGLES DOWN. The bodies of Forster and his sons, now clad in underwear are sprawled by the fire. Forster's arm lies close to the smouldering clothing. DISSOLVE EXT. CREEK - DAWN MED. LONG SHOT. Smoke climbs above the trees. Into the clearing ride the three convicts, to cross it and move westward. They disappear over the hill. A dust cloud marks their passage. CAMERA HOLDS ON the scene and over the shot comes the MAIN TITLE CARD: ROUGHSHOD EXT. DESERT ROAD - DAY LONG SHOT. A buckboard drawn by two horses comes along the road. Graham, a middle-aged rancher, is driving. As the horses trot forward and dust rises above the road, the NEXT TITLE CARD is shown. DISSOLVE EXT. CREEK - DAY LONG SHOT - DOWN ANGLE. Graham's buckboard moves down the road toward the clearing, as the TITLE CARDS follow and change. When the buckboard reaches the creek, the LAST TITLE CARD is ended. EXT. MEADOW - DAY MED. SHOT. Graham drives the horses through the creek and into the meadow. Through the trees the Forster camp can be seen. Graham glances over, then suddenly pulls on the reins. As the horses stop, he twists the reins around the whip stock, grabs his rifle from under the seat, leaps out and hurries forward toward the camp. EXT. FORSTER CAMP - DAY MED. SHOT. Graham hurries through the trees to stop in horror near the dead men. Then very slowly he moves forward to the smouldering fire. Stooping he lifts Forster's arm away from the fire, then picks up one of the prison coats and looks at it. DISSOLVE EXT. DESERT ROAD - DAY MED. LONG SHOT. The surrounding hills are covered with scrub pinon pine and mesquite. Graham's buckboard, moving slowly up a hill, passes camera, which PANS WITH it. In the bed, covered by a tarp, are the three bodies. The narrow, one-way road climbs easily up the gentle hill. Beyond, a dust cloud rises. As Graham's buckboard nears the crest, a surrey appears and starts down. Graham pulls his team into the bank, trying to make room for the surrey. MED. SHOT There are four women in the two-seated surrey, which is heavily loaded with trunks, hatboxes, etc. Mary Wells, the loveliest of the four, is driving. She is more poised, more self-assured than the others. Her clothes, though a trifle showy, are attractive. She wears a large spectacular hat. Helen Carter, showier, harder and more cynical, sits beside her. In the seat behind are Marcia Paine, placid, younger looking than her years, and Elaine Ross, a striking blonde with a pale haunted face. Elaine is obviously ill. Mary is riding the brake and holding the team back. ANOTHER ANGLE SHOOTING PAST Graham. GRAHAM (annoyed) What in thunderation -- (calling) Wait a minute -- stop -- He jerks on the reins and tries to make room for the surrey. A steep bank is on camera left. On camera right, the road drops off into a gulley. As the surrey comes up Mary reins the team in. The women all look frightened. Graham, trying to force his team to pull the vehicle up the bank, is too occupied to recognize the women at once. Having made just enough room for the surrey, he turns and looks at the women. GRAHAM All right -- (then surprised) What are you girls doin' way out here? Mary looks ahead at the narrow road and the canyon to her left. MARY Until you came along we were going to Sonora. GRAHAM What do you know about that. Did you sell your place? MARY (dryly) Not exactly. They decided gambling and dancing were bad for people. (pointing) Can I make it? GRAHAM Depends on how good you drive. HELEN She's a little out of practice. Graham jumps over the wheel. MED. CLOSE ON SURREY Graham reaches the surrey. GRAHAM (cheerfully) Slide over. HELEN (getting up) I'm slidin' all the way over. She climbs out. Marcia looks at the narrow space ahead. MARCIA (rising) So am I. Come on Elaine. Elaine leans back against the cushions and shakes her head. ELAINE (flat) What's the difference if we fall in the canyon. MARCIA Don't talk like that. Helen is out on the road now. Mary has moved over and Graham picks up the reins. Marcia gives up and jumps out. GRAHAM Nothin' to it -- He releases the brake. GRAHAM -- once you know how. Trouble is, never was a woman knew how to handle a team. Shouldn't let 'em loose on the roads. No disrespect meant, Miss Wells. Mary isn't listening. She is looking at the road. Elaine closes her eyes. Helen and Marcia scurry back out of the way. GRAHAM Get up. Adroitly he drives the surrey past. ANOTHER ANGLE featuring buckboard. Helen and Marcia start along the road past the buckboard. Helen stops and looks at its cargo in horror. She grabs Marcia's arm. The girls look at each other and hurry after the surrey which has stopped below the buckboard. MED. SHOT on surrey. Graham jumps out. GRAHAM There you are. Now take it easy and you'll be all right. MARY Thank you, Mr. Graham. Helen and Marcia hurry up. Marcia motions back. MARCIA (aghast) There's -- dead men -- in your wagon! GRAHAM That's right. You had me so busy I forgot -- (worried) Come to think of it you better turn around and drive right back to Aspen. The women exchange glances. Elaine is sitting up, her eyes open. GRAHAM They were murdered. I found the bodies on Alder Crick, northeast of here. Like I said if I was you, I'd go back, because the men who killed them might be on this road. ELAINE (bitterly) Back to what? GRAHAM Why, back to Aspen, where you came from. As Mary speaks, Helen pushes Marcia into the surrey and climbs up beside Mary. MARY Aspen doesn't want us Mr. Graham. They threw us out. GRAHAM (distressed) They shouldn't have done that. MARY We tried to point that out. But there were some pretty nosey citizens who wouldn't listen to reason. They said Aspen had outgrown us. It's all right to play poker in your own home but not in a saloon. GRAHAM (sadly) I knew something would happen when they started puttin' up fences and passin' laws. Mary unwraps the reins from the whipstock. MARY Goodbye and thanks. GRAHAM I don't like to see you go. Mary releases the brake and the surrey starts rolling forward. GRAHAM But that's the way it is. The live ones go out and the dead ones come in. The surrey starts down the hill. Graham looks after it, then turns to go back to the buckboard, CAMERA PANNING WITH him. DISSOLVE EXT. ASPEN - DAY - (MATTE SHOT) The town lies in a lush green valley. It is surrounded by meadowland and shaded by cottonwoods, alders and aspen. In the F.g. Graham's buckboard moves fast down hill. DISSOLVE OUT EXT. ASPEN STREET - DAY DISSOLVE IN FULL SHOT. In the F.g. a smallish crowd, mostly men and children idle in the street in front of Mary Wells' Gambling and Dance Hall. The wooden sidewalk is cluttered with those articles belonging to the women that were too bulky to get into the surrey. Several women stand on the porch supervising the locking up of the place and the removal of the sign of Mary Wells' name on it. Graham's buckboard rounds a corner at a fast trot. He slows the team to let the people get out of the way. MED. SHOT ON BUCKBOARD The team has slowed to a walk. The people give their attention to the buckboard. A boy clambers up over the tailboard, sees the cargo and jumps off with a frightened yell. The crowd turns from the dance hall and follows the buckboard leaving the women and their pious male assistants on the porch. EXT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY MED. FULL SHOT - ANGLED to include blacksmith shop across the street. Far down the street comes Graham's buckboard followed by the small crowd. The sheriff's office is a one- story wooden structure. Next to it is the general store. In front of the blacksmith shop stands a wagon with one wheel off. In the corral alongside are eleven blooded mares. Clay Phillips, his brother Steve and the blacksmith are inside the shop. Clay's saddle horse is tethered to the hitching rail beside two harnessed work horses. INT. BLACKSMITH SHOP - DAY ANGLED to include sheriff's office. The blacksmith, Sam Ellis, an elderly bent man in a leather apron stands at the forge in which he is heating the rim from the big wheel which lies on the table nearby. Clay, a long-legged wrangler in clean but faded work clothes stands near the forge pumping the bellows and watching his brother, a freckled kid of sixteen trying to roll a cigarette. Steve has progressed to the most difficult step, that of licking and sealing the paper. Clay reaches over and takes it from him. He puts the skinny cylinder in his mouth and Steve lights it for him. The first third of the cigarette burns with one quick flare. STEVE How does she draw? CLAY A little hot. Sam lifts the rim to the wheel. SAM You want to get out of here before noon, maybe you should lend me a hand. Clay, the cigarette dangling from his lips, moves over to the table, picks up a hammer and helps Sam hammer the rim on the wheel. Steve stands watching. CLAY Rate you're goin', we'll be here until winter. Together they lift the wheel and plunge it into the tub of water. Steam rises to fill the blackened shed. SAM (amiably grumbling) Account of you, I miss out on the only excitement Aspen's had for months. CLAY You're too old to watch such goin's on. STEVE And I'm too young. Clay and Sam spin the wheel in the tub. CLAY That's right. STEVE I don't see no sense to makin' people leave town if they don't want to leave. SAM I don't either -- when people are that good-lookin'. Maybe that's why -- they were too good-lookin'. (philosophically) But there'll be others along to take their place after a while when this quiets down. And everything will be fine until some busybody starts stirring up trouble. CLAY (mildly) Don't you ever run down? SAM (to Steve) Some people just have to run other people's lives. Now take Clay. You want to amble up the street and see the fun and what does he say? CLAY (good-natured) You stick to your blacksmithin' and let me take care of Steve. From O.s. comes the SOUND of the approaching buckboard and crowd. Steve hears the noise and moves to the front of the shed. EXT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY MED. FULL SHOT - Steve's angle. Graham pulls his buckboard up, jumps out and hurries into the sheriff's office. Some kids run up to stand on the porch chattering excitedly. Members of the crowd straggle up. INT. BLACKSMITH SHOP - DAY ANGLED PAST Steve. Clay comes up to stand beside Steve. Sam joins them. Steve looks up at Clay hopefully. CLAY We'll both take a look. Anything's better than listenin' to Sam. (to Sam) Don't forget to shoe the mule. Clay and Steve exit. Sam looks after them, shrugs disgustedly and goes back to the wheel. EXT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY MED. SHOT - featuring buckboard. The crowd around the wagon stands in shocked silence looking at the bodies under the tarp. Clay and steve come up, glance in the buckboard and then at each other. Clay speaks to a man near him. CLAY Who are they? MAN Don't know. Graham brought 'em in. The sheriff calls from O.s. GARDNER'S VOICE Clay, come up here a minute. ANOTHER ANGLE FEATURING PORCH Sheriff Gardner, who has seen Clay through the window, comes out of his office on to the porch followed by Jeb Graham and a young deputy. In his hand Gardner holds the burned prison jacket. Clay goes up the steps to the porch. Steve follows to the foot of the steps to stand watching. The crowd around the wagon gives its attention to the men on the porch. MED. SHOT Gardner is neatly dressed with his star hidden under his coat. His deputy wears jeans, shirt, and leather jacket. CLAY Hello Graham -- Joe -- Mr. Gardner. GARDNER Graham's got something to tell you might interest you. GRAHAM (motioning toward wagon) Cal Forster and his sons. Somebody killed 'em. He pauses to let that sink in. GRAHAM You know that cottonwood grove on Alder Crick? They must have been eatin' breakfast the way it looked, sittin' by the fire eatin' breakfast and when I got there nothin' but them lyin' dead in their underdrawers. No horses or guns or grub. CLAY (shocked) Forster never did anyone any harm. (puzzled) But what's that got to do with me? I came into town from the south. Gardner holds out the burned jacket. GARDNER This was smoulderin' on the fire. Clay moves over to glance down at the jacket. CLAY I still don't see. From his pocket, Gardner takes several communications, thumbs through them and passes one over. It is a telegram, of the period. GARDNER I got it day before yesterday. Clay reads it. INSERT TELEGRAM OF THE PERIOD: SHERIFF GARDNER: ASPEN, NEV. BE ADVISED OF ESCAPE OF LEDNOV, PETERS AND McCALL CONVICTED MURDERERS SERVING LIFE TERMS. BELIEVED HEADED FOR CALIFORNIA. L.B. GROVE, WARDEN STATE PENITENTIARY NORTON, NEV. BACK TO SCENE. Clay hands the telegram back. GARDNER Now are you interested? Clay nods. GARDNER You should be. Maybe Lednov heard about that Sonora ranch of yours. CLAY Maybe he did. GARDNER We're going to look for him. Want to come along? CLAY I've got eleven horses to get over the mountains before snow catches me and covers the feed. GARDNER (dryly) And that's more important than finding Lednov? CLAY Like you said, maybe he knows where my ranch is. If he does, he'll be waiting on the porch. He turns toward the steps. GARDNER (with irony) I'll drop the sheriff in Sonora a line to sort of look around for him. Clay speaks over his shoulder as he goes down. CLAY Thanks. ANOTHER ANGLE As Clay starts away, Steve follows him. Clay doesn't cross to the blacksmith shop. He goes along the sidewalk toward the general store. Steve hurries to catch up with him. EXT. STREET - DAY MOVING SHOT. Clay, deep in thought, seems unaware of his brother at his side. STEVE Who's Lednov? CLAY A man I used to know. They walk in silence to the General store and Clay goes up the steps and across the porch. Steve follows close behind. FULL SHOT The store is a typical general store of the period, selling everything from buggies to baby clothes. In one corner is the postoffice. The storekeeper, Hayes, is unpacking a case of canned goods, stacking the cans on the shelf. Clay, followed by Steve, enters. Hayes glances over. MED. SHOT Clay crosses to the shelf where the rifle and shotgun shells are kept and takes down a half dozen boxes of 30 30 cartridges. HAYES Forget somethin', Clay? CLAY Shells. How much for six boxes? HAYES Six times six bits. But wait until I finish this. Besides Clay, Steve is inspecting a rack of guns. STEVE You might tell a fellow things, 'specially if the fellow's your brother, seems to me. CLAY Like what? Steve picks up a rifle, puts it to his shoulder and squints along the barrel. STEVE Like why you're buyin' a whole slew of 30 30 shells all of a sudden. CLAY I don't want to run short. STEVE You never said this Lednov's name before, that I can remember. CLAY No call to. That jail looked pretty solid to me. (pointing to rifle) How's she feel? STEVE Nice. He pulls the hammer back and snaps the trigger. Hayes comes across and takes the gun from him. HAYES You know bettern' to do that, Steve. Unless you're figurin' on buyin' it. CLAY One he's got, more his size. STEVE But it's leaded up and anyway a 22's no good for real huntin'. You shoot a man with a 22 and where are you? CLAY The thing to do is stick to rabbits. He hands Hayes some money for the shells. Hayes crosses to another part of the store to get change. Clay and Steve, who has picked up the rifle again, move over to the counter. ANOTHER ANGLE STEVE What was he in jail for? CLAY You sure worry that bone. He killed a fellow. STEVE In a fight? CLAY The other fellow wasn't even lookin'. STEVE This is an awful nice gun. (sighting it) Certainly come in handy when there's men around who shoot people that aren't lookin'. Clay grins. Hayes comes up with the change. Clay takes out some bills and gives them to the storekeeper. CLAY (points to rifle) I may as well buy it for him. Otherwise he'll be crying all the way over the hill. Steve's expression shows his gratitude and delight. He covers up with banter. STEVE You must be plenty worried about Lednov sneakin' up on us. (hopefully) Think he will? CLAY Yes. STEVE At the ranch maybe? CLAY Maybe at the ranch. Maybe sooner than that. STEVE (annoyed) Do you have to be so close-mouthed? I'm your brother. And I'm ridin' with you. Remember? CLAY (smiling) All right. I'll tell you. He puts one of the boxes of shells on the end of the counter. MED. CLOSE - DOWN ANGLE CLAY Let's say this is the penitentiary. He reaches down into one of the barrels in front of the counter. The barrels are filled with beans, nails, dried apples, hardtack, etc. Clay takes a handful of beans and makes a trail ending in a little pile. CLAY Here's Alder Crick. He puts another box of shells on the other side of the counter. CLAY And here we are in Aspen. He runs a trail of beans away from "Aspen" toward the end of the counter. He runs another trail from "Alder Crick" to cross the Aspen trail. He puts another box of shells on the far end of the counter. CLAY That's Sonora. He reaches down without looking and brings up a hardtack. CLAY motioning) Lednov gets out of jail and comes along here to Alder Crick. Then goes along here toward the Sonora road. Clay drops the hardtack back from where the bean trails cross. CLAY That's Lednov! (tracing) We come along here. STEVE (pointing) And meet him there. CLAY Unless the sheriff gets too close and he holes up. He holds out his hand and Hayes hands him his change. CLAY So let's go. Steve tucks his gun under his arm. As he passes the counter, he picks up the hardtack and starts eating it. EXT. GENERAL STORE MED. SHOT - ANGLED TOWARD Sheriff's office. Up the street men are gathering around the sheriff's office. Some are mounted. Some are tightening their cinches. Clay and Steve come out of the store to look up the street. Steve munches the hardtack. STEVE (motioning) Sure a lot of guys lookin' for Lednov. CLAY Yeah -- and Lednov's only lookin' for one man. Me. STEVE Why? CLAY He doesn't like me. What you eatin'? STEVE Lednov. He glances at the remaining piece of hardtack and then pitches it away. STEVE I don't like him. Clay laughs. As they start up the street, the sheriff mounts his horse and, followed by his men, rides forward. DISSOLVE EXT. DESERT ROAD - DAY CLOSE SHOT. A woman's hat lies on the rocky earth. It is a big, elaborate affair. O.s. there is the SOUND of hoofbeats, the SQUEAL of a wagon brake and the JANGLE of harness. CAMERA PULLS BACK and ANGLE WIDENS to reveal Clay's wagon coming down a very steep hill. Steve is driving, holding tightly to the reins and riding the brake. Seeing the hat, he yells to Clay. STEVE Another one, Clay. Clay rides over and, swinging down, picks it up. MED. SHOT ANGLED DOWN hill. The road twists tortuously down. Near the bottom it swings sharply at right angles into a dry wash. The banks shut out further view of the road. Near where the road turns a trunk lies at the side. It has broken open and some of the contents are spilled out in the dust. Clay rides to it, reins in his horse and looks down. Steve, with difficulty, pulls the mules to a stop alongside. ANOTHER ANGLE featuring trunk and wagon. Clay swings out of his saddle, starts tossing the clothes back in the trunk. Steve jumps down. STEVE They sure must have been travelin'. This keeps up we can start a store. CLAY Things get tough next winter, you'll have somethin' to wear. Steve holds up a petticoat close to his body and grins. STEVE I'd look good doin' the ploughin' in this. Clay takes it from him, puts it in the trunk and shuts the lid. Steve helps him hoist the trunk into the wagon bed. Steve gets back in the seat. Just as Clay is about to mount, he stops and picks up a small folding daguerrotype case delicately ornamented. He lifts his eyebrow, tucks the case into his pocket, then mounts and starts ahead around the bend. MED. LONG SHOT Clay's ANGLE. Ahead, off the road in the wash is the surrey that passed Graham's buckboard at the fork. Clay spurs his horse forward. MED. SHOT on surrey. The back wheel is broken and the bed of the surrey rests on the ground. The horses have been taken from the traces and stand dejectedly in the hot sun. A blanket is spread in the scant shade thrown by the surrey. On it lies Elaine and, sitting beside her, is Marcia. A damp cloth is spread across Elaine's forehead. A water bag hangs from the surrey. Elaine's head is pillowed on a dainty satin cushion. Helen and Mary have risen at Clay's approach and now stand by the road. ANOTHER ANGLE Clay gallops forward to pull up near the surrey. In the b.g. Steve drives the wagon around the bend. Clay dismounts. MED. GROUP SHOT Clay drops his reins and hurries up. CLAY Anybody hurt? MARY No. We came down the hill a little fast and... (rueful) ...the wheel broke. (hopefully) Can you fix it for us? Clay bends over Elaine. CLAY What's the matter with her? MARY (dryly) Too much excitement. How about the surrey. Can you fix it? Clay turns from Elaine and gives his attention to the surrey. ANOTHER ANGLE on rear of surrey. In the B.g. Steve pulls the wagon to a stop, jumps off, and comes running over. STEVE Jimininy. You sure were lucky, just bustin' a wheel. Helen moves toward Clay. She miles without humor. HELEN (rubbing thigh) You think that'sall we busted -- You should see... Clay stops her with a look, goes around, and kicks the unbroken back wheel. The spokes rattle. CLAY This must have been in the family a long time. MARY (dryly) It was a gift from the citizens of Aspen. I'm Mary Wells. She looks at him to see if the name registers. MARY And this is Helen Carter. CLAY I'm Clay Phillips. (motioning) My brother Steve. Steve tugs at his battered hat. STEVE (shy) Pleased to meet you, ma'am. (brightly) We found your trunk. Were you doin' the driven'? MARY I was at first. Then I was hanging on. (to Clay) Are you going far? CLAY Yes, ma'am. MARY As far as -- Sonora? CLAY Just about. Mary and Helen exchange glances. MARY We're going to Sonora, too, so that solves everything. Clay takes the makings from his pocket, starts to roll a cigarette. MARY We can ride in your wagon. Steve looks at Clay hopefully. He likes the prospect of having these lovely women along. MARY We wouldn't think of asking you to take us for nothing. Clay finishes the cigarette, starts to put the makings back. Mary holds out her hand. Clay gives her the makings. Mary speaks as she casually rolls a cigarette. MARY There's only four of us. Clay motions to the remuda that grazes in the b.g. CLAY I've got eleven horses. STEVE (proudly) Morgan blood. The beat in Nevada. Clay and me have a place on the Toulomne River. We're going to raise horses like these. Mary has finished rolling her cigarette. She passes the bag to Helen, who starts rolling one. MARY They won't be riding in the wagon. CLAY (dryly) Did you ever try taking a bunch of horses over Sonora Pass? It's quite a job. MARY You can't leave us here. CLAY Course I can't. I'll give you a lift to the first ranch. Helen has finished her cigarette. She passes the makings to Steve. He hesitates, looks at his brother and, when he sees Clay is occupied with Mary, starts rolling one. MARY What good is it going to do us to go to some ranch? CLAY (amiably) You can stay here if you like. MARY We have to get to Sonora. There are jobs waiting for us there. We'll pay you for your trouble. CLAY I'm not running a stage line, ma'am, and I can't take a chance on losing the horses. Steve finishes his cigarette. Again he hesitates, then not wanting to seem young in front of these women he takes a bold step and lights it. Clay reaches over and takes it from him. Mary watches the byplay. CLAY When you're old enough to smoke, I'll tell you. (kind) Get the horses started on ahead, will you, Steve? Steve, embarrassed and hurt, turns quickly away. Helen looks after the boy. HELEN Afraid it will stop him growin'? CLAY (turning) Let's get your stuff in the wagon. Like I said, I'll take you to the first ranch. I wish I could carry you all the way, but I can't. It's a tough trip and women would be in the way. MARY (dryly) Our kind of women? CLAY (ignores that) You'll have to drive -- except down hill. He lifts some things out of the surrey and carries them toward the wagon. HELEN Maybe you're going about this all wrong. Why not try telling him we'll do the cookin' and mendin' and washin' for him. That usually works. (then shocked at the thought) Yeah, but suppose he took us up on it. Where would we be? MARY Maybe in Sonora. She starts around the surrey. Helen follows. Clay bends over Elaine. CLAY What's the matter with her? MARY (dryly) Too much excitement. Or maybe it's just the heat. How about the surrey. Can you fix it? As Clay turns from Elaine, Marcia joins the other two, their attention on Clay and the surrey. Left alone, Elaine is suddenly alert and no longer sick. She glances around, then unobserved slides out from under the shade of the surrey. ANOTHER ANGLE on rear of surrey. In the B.g. Steve pulls the wagon to a stop, jumps off, and comes running over. Elaine stands for a moment, searching the ground with her eyes. STEVE Jiminy. You sure were lucky, just bustin' a wheel. Helen moves toward Clay. She smiles without humor. With this new diversion, Elaine, still unnoticed, starts away -- back toward where they dropped the trunk. HELEN (rubbing thigh) You think that's all we busted -- You should see... MARY (sees Elaine) Now where's she goin'? -- ELAINE (half-turns without stopping) I -- lost something. CLAY It wouldn't happen to be this... Elaine stops now and turns as Clay takes the folding daguerrotype case from his pocket. Elaine, her eyes wide and frightened, starts back as Mary takes the case from Clay and opens it. MARY Who's the old folks? ELAINE (frantic) Give it to me! She jerks the case from Mary's hands, snaps it shut, and stands staring at Mary with a strange mixture of fright, anger and hysteria. Mary glances around as if to say what- did-I-do? To cover the embarrassed silence, Clay kicks the unbroken back wheel. The spokes rattle. CLAY This must have been in the family a long time. Elaine glances at him as though he had insulted her, turns and starts toward the blanket again. MARY (dryly) It was a gift from the citizens of Aspen. I'm Mary Wells. She looks at him to see if the name registers. At the surrey side, Elaine is abruptly weak again. She leans against it for support. Mareia moves to her as she slides back down on the blanket, clutching the case. MARY And this is Helen Carter. CLAY I'm Clay Phillips. (motioning) My brother Steve. Steve tugs at his battered hat. STEVE (shy) Pleased to meet you, ma'am. (brightly) We found your trunk. Were you doin' the drivin'? ANOTHER ANGLE Mary and Helen come around the end of the surrey to where Elaine lies. Mary bends beside the sick girl and lifts the cloth from the girl's forehead. MARY Come on, Honeybunch. We're changing trains. The sick girl sits up. She looks around her dully. MARY A nice, kind wrangler is letting us ride in his wagon... Assisted by Mary, Elaine gets to her feet. Mary puts her arm around her. MARY ...as far as the first ranch. From then on -- Elaine stops. She looks fearfully up at Helen. ELAINE What ranch? MARY What's the difference? She tries to lead the girl toward the wagon. ELAINE (fierce) Ask him what ranch -- MARY There's plenty of time for that. (sharp) Come on, now. You've got to lie down out of this sun. Stop worrying. I'll find out what ranch after a while. She pulls the girl with her toward the wagon. MED. SHOT on wagon. Clay, in the wagon bed, is stowing his gear in the back. Mary, supporting Elaine, reaches the wagon. Seeing the girls, Clay reaches down and gently lifts Elaine up. Mary climbs in beside him. MED. CLOSE wagon bed. Clay has unrolled a bedroll under the seat where there is a little shade. CLAY (kind) Stretch out under the seat, Miss. ELAINE (desperate) Which ranch? CLAY How's that? MARY She's worried about where you're taking us. As she speaks, Mary helps the girl down under the seat, then rises to face Clay. MARY (dryly) So am I. CLAY It's a nice place owned by an old couple named Wyatt. CLOSE SHOT Elaine as she hears the name. She is shocked. CLAY'S VOICE They'll take you in until you can make other arrangements. TWO SHOT Clay and Mary. Clay vaults out of the wagon, CAMERA ANGLE WIDENS, he looks up. CLAY So both of you stop worrying. He turns away and hurries back to the surrey. DISSOLVE EXT. DESERT ROAD - DAY FULL SHOT. Dust rises over the road as the cavalcade moves forward. Clay, rifle across his lap, rides in front. The wagon, with Mary driving and Helen beside her on the seat, follows. The two horses that pulled the surrey are tied to the tail gate. Then comes the remuda with Steve bringing up the rear. CLOSE SHOT Marcia and Elaine. PROCESS. Marcia sits in the bed of the wagon looking back. Elaine lies under the seat. CLOSE SHOT Steve. Steve proudly carries his new rifle across his lap. He whistles happily as he scans the desert country hopefully for the enemy. EXT. CAMP SITE - LATE AFTERNOON FULL SHOT. Long shadows of the hills lie on the grassy meadow along the stream that is bordered by cottonwoods and willows. A knoll overlooks the camp site. The caravan can be seen as it halts in the lush grass a few yards from the stream. The girls sit lifelessly on the wagon; they seem too tired to dismount. Then, finally, Marcia helps Elaine to climb stiffly down. With the exception of Mary they all let themselves down in the grass. Mary walks to the head of the team and starts fumbling with the harness. Steve comes into the scene, dismounts quickly and pulls the saddle off his horse. The remuda has fanned out, the horses moving toward the water. Steve crosses to Mary and takes over the job of unbuckling the harness. Mary smiles gratefully and rubs her hand across her face. CLAY'S VOICE Steve, see the horses don't drink too much -- Steve straightens, looks towards the horses and moves off. He speaks to Mary over his shoulder. STEVE Leave that unharnessing for me, Ma'am. Mary smiles after him, then moves across the grass, CAMERA DOLLYING AHEAD of her. She sinks to her knees in the patch of sand by the stream and leans down and puts her face under the water. Then, sitting up, she wipes the water and dust from her face with a handkerchief. Clay rides up from behind, dismounts, scoops up some water from the river in the brim of his hat and drinks it. For a second he watches Mary. CLAY There's a place down a ways, where you and the girls can wash some of that dust off. Mary's manner is business-like. She and the girls are along for the ride. She wants no favors -- wants to do her part. MARY Thanks. And isn't there something we can do about supper -- or making the beds? CLAY (half-smile) Steve and me, we use a saddle for a pillow and roll up in a tarp. MARY (curt) But you eat, don't you? CLAY Mostly, we open a can of beans and boil some coffee. MARY Where do you keep the can opener? CLAY In the grub box. (softening) Toward morning the dew gets kind of heavy so maybe you better fix up a bed under the wagon. Spread some bunch grass under the tarp and the ground won't be so hard. He turns and leads his horse back to the wagon, stands there unsaddling it. Mary rises. MARY Marcia -- all of you. Come on. She starts downstream. MED. SHOT ANGLED PAST wagon. Clay tosses the saddle into the wagon bed, slaps his mare on the rump. She trots off. Climbing up on the wheel, he gets the grub box under the seat and lifts it down. Steve comes from out of scene and starts unharnessing the team. STEVE (trying to be casual) Where'd they go? CLAY Swimming. Clay comes past him, carrying the grub box. He puts it down near where some stones make a crude firebox. STEVE It's sort of nice having company along. Not so lonesome. Clay squats by the stones and starts building a fire. CLAY When you get the team watered, rustle up some wood. He fans the small flame with his hat. Steve leads the mules down toward the stream. MED. SHOT ANGLED PAST Clay. In the B.g. Steve stands by the stream, letting the team drink. O.s. the women can be heard laughing and splashing. Steve gives all his attention to what is going on downstream. Clay puts wood on the fire, opens the grub box. He sees Steve, takes the coffee pot out of the box and heads for the stream. MED. LONG SHOT ANGLED PAST Steve downstream. Behind the willows the girls are bathing. However they are too far away to be seen clearly and the willows make a fairly effective screen. Clay walks upstream and fills the coffee pot, then comes back to stand for a moment beside Steve. Steve, who hadn't seen Clay until now, suddenly gets very busy giving all his attention to the mules. STEVE (to mules) You boys have had enough. He jerks them from the water and leads them away. Clay frowns after him, then goes back to the wagon. MED. SHOT on wagon and fire. As Clay passes the wagon, he reaches into the bed and gets a couple of strips of scrap iron. These he carries to the fire. He puts the iron strips across the blaze, sets the coffee pot on, feeds the fire with some more wood, then going back to the wagon, he takes his rifle out, throws a shell into the chamber and starts off up the knoll. DISSOLVE EXT. KNOLL - NIGHT MED. SHOT. It is a moonlight night. Clay squats on his heels, smoking. The rifle lies across his knees. Below can be seen the campfire, and the shadowy forms of the girls as with Steve's help they make up a bed under the wagon and cook the evening meal. Clay suddenly reacts as O.s. a horse whinnies. Standing he looks off into the darkness. LONG SHOT ANGLED PAST Clay. In the moonlight the trail stretches back over rolling hills. Faintly can be heard the SOUND of hoofbeats. Below, where the remuda grazes, a horse whinnies again. Clay moves down toward the camp. MED. SHOT the camp. As Clay approaches. Steve squats by the fire. He has spread out a tarp in the circle of firelight and Mary is setting the tin plates, cups, etc., out. Elaine, a blanket around her, sits near the fire. She looks tired and ill. Marcia and Helen are struggling with bed-making under the wagon. HELEN'S VOICE And I'm the girl who used to complain to my mother about helping with the wash. Steve and Mary look up as Clay strides up. Clay starts kicking dirt over the fire. CLAY Get your rifle. Steve jumps up and hurries to the wagon. Clay continues kicking dirt over the fire. EXT. CAMP - NIGHT - (MOONLIGHT) LONG SHOT - ANGLES PAST horseman. The horseman, who has been approaching from the east, tops a rise and looks off at the camp. He is a shadowy figure in the palo dark. For a moment, as the fire still blazes, figures are visible in the camp. Then the fire goes out. The horseman dismounts, pulling his rifle from his scabbard. Moving to his horse's head he puts a hand on the animal's nostrils. He looks toward the camp for a moment then starts cautiously along the road. EXT. ROAD - NIGHT - (MOONLIGHT) MED. SHOT - ANGLED THROUGH willows PAST Clay and Steve. The brothers have taken up a post overlooking the road. The horseman walks cautiously toward them. He stops, listening. Then he drops his reins and comes forward stealthily. The horse stands. MED. CLOSE SHOT Clay and Steve. Steve, finger on trigger gives Clay a questioning glance. Clay shakes his head. CLAY (calling) Hold it. ANOTHER ANGLE on road. The man, now seen clearly for the first time, stops. He is Jim Clayton, a man in his twenties, chunky, round-faced, stolid and not too imaginative. He wears the well-worn jeans and blue shirt of the farmer. Clay and Steve come out of the willows toward him. Both have their rifles ready. CLAY Drop your gun. Clayton hesitates, then lets his rifle butt drop to the road. CLAYTON (mildly) Drop yours. I'm gunshy. CLAY Then don't come sneakin' around a man's camp. CLAYTON A fellow sees a fire go out all of a sudden, he don't take chances. My name's Clayton and I'm looking for someone. Clay and Steve lower their rifles. CLAYTON I found their surrey -- CLAY So did I. They were in it. CLAYTON She's a friend -- took off this morning sort of sudden while I wasn't around. Clay moves closer and extends his hand. They shake. CLAY (very cordial) I'm glad you came along. (introducing) My brother, Steve. I'm Phillips. Steve shakes Jim's hand. CLAY I gave the girls a lift. Didn't know what else to do with them. Get your horse and come on. Clayton turns back toward his horse. Clay and Steve wait for him. EXT. CAMP - NIGHT - (MOONLIGHT) MED. SHOT - ANGLED BACK ALONG the trail. Mary and Helen, tense and worried, stand at the edge of the camp, looking off. Marcia is with Elaine under the wagon. From o.s. comes the SOUND of men's voices. Clay, Steve and Clayton, leading his horse, come into view. CLOSE SHOT ON WAGON Marcia kneeling on the tarp by Elaine, is staring ahead. Suddenly her face lights up. She springs to her feet. MARCIA'S ANGLE Clay, Steve and Jim are now close to Mary. CLAY (genial) Here's a man says he's looking for you girls. CLAYTON Hello, Miss Wells. Hearing his voice, Marcia runs toward them. GROUP SHOT Marcia throws herself into Jim's arms. MARCIA Jim. MED. CLOSE Clayton kisses her. CLAYTON I was roundin' up some stock. That's why I didn't come sooner. Marcia hugs him. In the B.g. Clay goes over to the fire, kicks the dirt off the embers and piles on wood. The fire flares up. CLAYTON What do you mean running off without a word. TWO SHOT Mary and Helen. MARCIA'S VOICE I didn't know who to tell, it all happened so sudden, those people comin' and throwin' us out on the street. JIM'S VOICE Don't you think about it, darlin'. Don't you think about anythin' but us. HELEN (quietly) Looks like we lose a good piano player. CAMERA ANGLE WIDENS as Marcia and Jim come forward. The fire now burns briskly. Clay rejoins the group. MARCIA (happily) Jim came after me, Mary. MARY (dryly) I see he did. HELEN With a milk pail in one hand and a marriage license in the other. MARY (sharp) Why didn't you say you wanted to get married back in Aspen. I told the man in Sonora there were four of us. If only three show up, he might call the whole deal off. We've got to stick together. Like we've always done. MARCIA I've got a chance to get married. MARY (quickly) That's what I'm gettin' at. It never works. Don't forget we were thrown out of Aspen. MARCIA Jim doesn't care, do you, Jim? Mary speaks before Jim can answer. MARY But Jim isn't the only one you're marrying. He has folks and friends. What are they going to say? And how're they going to feel? I tell you, it won't work. The joy goes out of Marcia's expression. She looks up at Jim, her eyes begging him to tell her it will work. Jim, a naturally shy man, loses his tongue momentarily. Clay jumps into the breach. CLAY Of course it'll work. You can get another girl to fill out the act. MARY (ignoring him) And look at it this way. How about Jim -- it puts him in a sort of tough spot. JIM I know what I'm doing. My folks got nothin' to do with it -- MARY You've talked this over with them? JIM They know about Marcia. MARY (quickly) And they don't like the idea! CLAY Suppose they don't. This is his problem. He's over twenty-one. He wants to marry Marcia and Marcia wants to marry him so let 'em alone. Mary turns on Clay. TWO SHOT Clay and Mary. The others in the b.g. MARY If you were in his shoes would you take one of us home? CLAY I'm not in his shoes, so leave me out of it. CAMERA ANGLE WIDENS as he turns back to the fire, embarrassed by the spot he's in, and throws wood on it, Mary watching him. Steve comes over to Mary. STEVE (friendly) I would! Clay swings around and comes back. CLAY (hurriedly; smiles) Steve maybe you better get some wood for the fire. MARY Would you, Mr. Phillips? CLAY (to Steve) Go on, there's a good boy. Clay gives Steve a gentle push. Steve exits. MARY (bitter) Don't you want him to hear your answer? Well, I know what it is. For the other fellow it's all right -- but not you. All you want is to get rid of one of us. JIM Wait a minute. Jim, his arm around Marcia, moves closer. Helen is in the B.g., watching. JIM No need of you two arguin' about this. We know what we want to do, and nothin' either of you says makes any difference. We want to go home -- tonight. (to Clay) Will you sell me one of your horses? CLAY I'm sorry. I can't do that. I went a long way to get those horses. JIM All right, we'll ride double. Come on, Marcia. Taking her arm he leads her to where the horse stands at the edge of the camp. ANOTHER ANGLE featuring Marcia and Jim. In the B.g. Mary comes after them. MARY No need to do that, Marcia. Jim and Marcia turn. MARY We've got two horses and they're four of us. So half of one of 'em is yours. (smiling) The other half's a wedding present. Marcia comes over to hug Mary. As Marcia and Jim leave, Mary moves to Clay. MARY Big-hearted fella. Can't see young love thwarted -- especially if it makes one less girl to worry about. That's all you really want, isn't it. DISSOLVE EXT. CAMP SITE - NIGHT MED. SHOT. Mary stands in the moonlight by the wagon, looking out across the meadow. Below, near the creek, the horses graze. There is the soft jangle of a bell as the bell mare moves her head. Clay comes walking up from the creek, rifle in hand. He passes without noticing Mary. Mary turns. REVERSE SHOT Mary in close F.g. The campfire burns low. Steve lies on his stomach close to it. Clay stops beside him to glance down, then moves on to sit on a rock above the fire. Mary starts toward the fire. MED. CLOSE Steve. Open in front of him is a copy of Leslie's Weekly, a woman's journal: pictures of baby basinettes, whale-bone corsets, fancy oil lamps, etc. Mary comes into scene to stand above him, looking down. Steve glances up and smiles. MARY Is that your kind of reading, Steve? STEVE I can't read, Ma'am. I just look at the pictures. MED. SHOT ANGLED DOWN PAST Clay. MARY You can't read? She glances up where Clay sits. MARY Your brother's always looked after you, hasn't he? STEVE Since I can remember, Ma'am. MARY But he just never troubled to have you get any schooling? CLOSE SHOT Clay. He listens, perturbed. MED. SHOT Mary and Steve. STEVE It wasn't Clay's fault. We've been moving around most all the time -- mebbe when we get the ranch and stay in one place I can learn my letters then -- MARY Don't you even know your letters? CLOSE SHOT Clay. He winces at! STEVE'S VOICE No, Ma'am. MED. SHOT Mary, Steve and Clay. Behind them, Clay rises and comes down nearer the fire. MARY Would you like to learn them? STEVE I sure would. MARY Maybe I could start you out. STEVE That'd be swell. (shyly) You know, you're an awful lot different than I thought you'd be. She gives him a quick look of inquiry. STEVE You're so nice. MARY Did someone say I wasn't nice? STEVE Oh no. Nobody said nothing to me. Only I got the idea that -- well Clay and me used to be walking through town and there was your place and through the window I could see you dancing, but Clay always took me over to the other side of the street. CLAY (interrupting) Time to go to bed, Steve. Steve looks up, then rises reluctantly. STEVE Good night, Miss Wells. MARY Good night, Steve. Steve exits. Mary looks after him, then up at Clay. MARY (soft) There's a nice boy. CLAY Yeah. MARY (sharp) That why you always took him on the other side of the street? Clay kicks loose embers into the fire. MARY (sharper) Maybe I don't make the grade in some ways, but I know enough to teach a kid his letters. Clay turns from the fire to stand above her. CLAY (quiet) He doesn't know his letters, no -- but he knows the names of animals... he knows what roots to eat when you're clear out of food... He knows the difference between a possum and a coon just by lookin' at the tracks... more than most trappers know... and he can tell whether she'll rain or shine tomorrow by smelling the air tonight. There's a lot of things he doesn't know, I hope he'll never learn. He pauses, looking down. MARY Like what? CLAY (turning away) Like sticking his nose into other people's business. Clay moves out of the circle of firelight to stop and pick up his rifle, tarp and blanket, then climbs the knoll. Mary stares into the fire, then rising she starts toward the wagon. EXT. KNOLL - NIGHT - MOONLIGHT MED. SHOT. Clay reaches the top of the knoll and stands looking off. Below him the campfire burns low. Mary reaches the wagon. EXT. WAGON - MOONLIGHT - NIGHT MED. SHOT ANGLED PAST Mary TOWARD Clay. Mary stops, looking up. A match flares as Clay lights a cigarette. O.s. there is the SOUND of the bell mare's bell, the SOUND of horses moving restlessly. Mary turns, looks under the wagon. MED. CLOSE DOWN ANGLE Elaine is gone. Helen is asleep. Mary drops to her knees on the tarp and shakes Helen in wakefulness. MARY Where's Elaine? Helen sits up and looks over at Elaine's side of the bed. HELEN She was here a while ago. Mary straightens, moves down past the wagon, CAMERA PANNING WITH her. She calls softly. MARY (softly) Elaine! MED. CLOSE Clay. He looks down toward the wagon as Mary calls Elaine's name again, this time louder. MARY'S VOICE Elaine. (then) Clay -- Elaine's gone. Clay frowns, pitches his cigarette away and starts down toward the wagon. MED. CLOSE Steve. He is sitting up, pulling on his boots. From under the bedclothes he takes his rifle and starts toward the wagon. MED. SHOT wagon. Clay stands with Mary at the wagon as Steve comes up. Helen is sitting up in bed, a comforter pulled around her. HELEN She can't have gone far. I wasn't asleep long. CLAY What would she run off for? MARY (excited) Because she's sick. She starts away into the darkness. CLAY (sharp) Stay here. One woman wanderin' off's enough. Mary turns back. STEVE Don't you worry, Miss Wells. We'll find her. Clay picks up his saddle and bridle. CLAY (to Mary) Build the fire up and stick close to it. Come on, Steve. He starts down toward the meadow. Steve follows. Helen scrambles out from under the wagon. EXT. CREEK - NIGHT - MOONLIGHT Clay stops by the creek. Behind him the fire smoulders near the wagon. Mary's shadowy figure can be seen climbing the knoll where Clay's bedroll is. Helen is near the fire. CLAY (annoyed) Look around. She can't have gone far. Steve nods and splashes across the creek to follow the road leading west. Clay starts toward the meadow where the horses graze. EXT. ROAD - NIGHT - (MOONLIGHT) MED. SHOT. Steve moves slowly along the road away from camp. He is scanning the dust for Elaine's footprints. EXT. KNOLL - NIGHT - (MOONLIGHT) LONG SHOT - ANGLED PAST Mary. Mary stands on the knoll looking off. Far below, in the meadow, Clay saddles his horse. MARY (calling) Elaine -- Elaine -- Elaine. EXT. MEADOW - NIGHT - MOONLIGHT MED. SHOT. Clay swings into the saddle, and rides east. O.s. Mary calls: MARY'S VOICE Elaine -- Elaine. As the call echoes across the hills. DISSOLVE EXT. DESERT - NIGHT - (MOONLIGHT) MED. SHOT. This is rough country, the rocky hills covered sparsely with scrub pinon pine and brush. Steve stands on a rise. He looks around for a moment, then turning starts back down the slope. Suddenly he stops and listens, as from O.s. comes the SOUND of distant sobbing. CLOSE SHOT Steve. He listens, trying to locate the sound then he hurries down into a dry wash. EXT. WASH Steve crashes through the brush into the wash, to stop beside Elaine who sits with her head buried in her arms, sobbing. MED. CLOSE Steve and Elaine. Steve drops on his knees beside her. Elaine doesn't look up. Steve shakes her. STEVE Ma'am -- you shouldn't have run off like that. Why I was just about to give up lookin'. Come on, now. Elaine doesn't move. STEVE You can't stay here. There's snakes and it's cold and you'll just get sicker. ELAINE I don't care. STEVE Suppose that Lednov was to have found you, instead of me. Why you wouldn't have had a chance. ELAINE (sharp) I said I didn't care. STEVE What's botherin' you, anyway? He pulls her up. STEVE Runnin' off and worryin' people. Makin' it tougher on Clay than it is already. ELAINE (hysterical) Don't ask me because I won't tell you! I won't tell anybody! Go away! STEVE Don't act so -- crazy. ELAINE (dully) I'm sorry. Let's go. STEVE (relieved) That's a good girl. CAMERA ANGLE WIDENS as he tucks her arm in the crook of his own and starts up the other side of the wash. ANOTHER ANGLE Steve, holding Elaine's arm, scrambles up the bank and through the brush. STEVE That's it. Watch out where you're steppin' -- He stops and looks off. Faintly O.s. is heard the SOUND of hoofbeats. STEVE That oughta be -- (then sharp) Down. He shoves the girl down. LONG SHOT their ANGLE. Over a hill comes a horseman to be followed by another and then a third. CLOSE SHOT Steve and Elaine. STEVE Lednov -- Excitedly he swings the rifle to his shoulder and fires. EXT. DESERT - NIGHT - MOONLIGHT FULL SHOT - Clay reins his horse in and turns to look off in the direction from which the shot came. Faintly o.s. another shot echoes across the hills, then another and another. Clay spurs his horse and gallops off. EXT. HILLTOP - NIGHT - MOONLIGHT Clay gallops up the hill to rein his horse in suddenly. MED. LONG SHOT his ANGLE. Riding toward him are several horsemen. The horses move at a walk. One carries a double burden. Steve walks along behind. Clay spurs his horse and rides down toward them. ANOTHER ANGLE Clay, in the B.g., comes down the hill. The horsemen, seven of them, with Sheriff Gardner in the lead, followed by a deputy, carrying Elaine in front of him, file past camera. Steve, hands in his pockets, walks dejectedly in the dust cloud kicked up by the horses. MED. SHOT featuring Clay and Gardner. Clay reins in his horse beside Gardner, who also stops. The others rein in. Steve stops a short distance away. GARDNER Want to take her off our hands? Clay rides closer. The deputy rides forward and lifts Elaine into his arms. Clay settles her in front of him. CLAY Who shot who? GARDNER Nobody. The light was bad. There are two rifles in his saddle holster. He pulls Steve's out, hands it over. GARDNER Steve's! Clay shoves it in his saddle holster. GARDNER What's she doin' runnin' around the country at night. CLAY I wouldn't know. Did you ask her? GARDNER All I can get out of her is she don't care about livin'. CLAY Look of things, she doesn't. GARDNER Yeah. Keep a closer eye on her -- (motioning to Steve) And him. Shootin' going on, we'll never find Lednov. He wheels his horse and rides off, followed by the others Clay watches him go. Reluctantly Steve moves slowly up to stand near Clay. STEVE There was only three of them at first. I guess I lost my head. CLAY (dryly) How'd you happen to miss? STEVE They were quite a ways off and the wind was blowin'. I didn't have them to aim. CLAY Good thing you didn't. He reins his horse around. STEVE Clay -- Clay looks back. STEVE A man can't help gettin' excited once in a while. CLAY That's right, Steve. STEVE Can I have my gun back? CLAY Sure. You'll find it under the wagon seat. Like I said before, a twenty- two's more your size. FADE OUT EXT. TRAIL - DAY FADE IN EXTREME LONG SHOT. West are the Sierras and clouds are piled in untidy heaps on the range. The dusty trail runs through rolling country. Pinon pine and brush clothe the slopes. The wagon and horses are the moving center of a white cloud of dust. FULL SHOT Clay's party. Clay rides in the lead. The wagon follows and Steve is riding beside the wagon. Behind is the remuda, and the horses are straying off the road in search of grass. MED. SHOT wagon - (MOVING). Featuring Steve and Mary. Elaine lies under the seat and Helen sits beside her. Steve is reciting the alphabet to a simple melody usually sung by children of six or seven. STEVE (stumbles embarrassedly) Gee, I can't. MARY Why not? You went farther than that last time. STEVE I'm too old for it, Miss Wells... That's for little kids. MARY Don't be silly... Nobody's too old to learn. STEVE (resolutely) Okay. A-B-C -- D-E-F -- G-H-I -- CLOSE SHOT Clay. He turns in his saddle where he rides ahead of the team. He notices Steve riding at Mary's side and reins in his horse. CLAY (mildly) Oh, Steve! MED. SHOT Steve and Mary. Steve stops his letters. looks off. The wagon moves up to Clay and stops. CLAY Get back to the horses. They're straggling. MARY He's learning his letters. CLAY Yeah. While the horses wander all over the country. Steve hesitates hoping he'll change his mind. CLAY (sternly) Do like I said. Steve wheels his horse and rides back. Mary looks over at Clay. MARY (dryly) Learnin' to read has nothing to do with the right or the wrong side of the street. CLAY (motioning) Are the horses stragglin' or aren't they? MARY (after a backward glance) They're stragglin'. CLAY His letters will keep. He wheels his horse and rides after Steve. ANOTHER ANGLE Steve is driving the horses back into the road. Clay rides up to help him. The horses fall in behind the wagon. Steve takes up his position in the rear. Clay rides over beside him. MED. SHOT CLAY AND STEVE. (MOVING) CLAY Steve -- I want you to learn to read. I meant to teach you but I never seemed to find time. I figured when we got settled on the ranch we'd get around to it. They ride in silence for a moment. CLAY It's all right with me if she teaches you, but I don't want you forgettin' your job. STEVE (flat) I won't again. ANOTHER ANGLE One of the horses strays out of line and Clay rides out and gets the animal back in the road. Then he returns to Steve. TWO SHOT - (MOVING) CLAY This isn't like other trips we've taken. For one thing, we've got a wagonload of women. For another there's a guy wanderin' around hopin' to put a bullet in my back. Steve looks over at his brother and finds a wry grin. STEVE Okeh, I was wrong. But you can't expect a fellow who never saw Lednov and never heard his name until a while ago to do too much worryin'. You've been sorta close mouthed about him. CLAY I guess I have. You were pretty little when they locked him up. I don't suppose you even remember that time I was gone two months. STEVE Sure I remember. You went to Mexico lookin' for cattle. CLAY (nods; then, after a moment) You remember Jeff Rawson? -- We used to go fishing and hunting with him when you were so high. STEVE (offended) Sure I do. Went off down to Mexico or something... CLAY That's what I told you then. Only he didn't. Lednov killed him. STEVE Oh... that's the time you went away. CLAY (nods) I caught up with Lednov in Nogales. He didn't like the idea of comin' back across the border but he came. I turned him over to the sheriff and -- that's the story. STEVE (looking off) Maybe you shoulda killed him. CLAY Maybe I should. But I was never much on killin'. Anyway, he moved too quick and I just got him through the shoulder. (glances off) Looks pretty peaceful up ahead. STEVE Yeah, it does. CLAY But you never can tell. Why don't you get that new rifle out of the wagon? Steve smiles warmly at him. CLAY And while you're there you might as well find out what comes after K. DISSOLVE EXTREME LONG SHOT Cavalcade. It moves through dry barren hills. Far off, the Sierras rise against the sky Thunder heads are piled in untidy heaps on the range. DISSOLVE OUT EFFECT SHOT DISSOLVE IN sky. Dark rain clouds blown by a high wind. SOUND of thunder. FULL SHOT rain -- the caravan. Clay leads it through a rain that has filled the ruts in the trail, soaked the horses to glistening black -- and obscures all view of the country through which they are passing. SOUND of rain falling is loud. Clay and Steve both wear slickers, gleaming from their shoulders to the rumps of their horses. Mary, a tarp around her shoulders, drives. Elaine and Helen huddle under a tarpaulin in the wagon bed. MED. CLOSE SHOT rain -- DOWN ANGLE -- wagon moving. Elaine sits up and, in her delirium, throws off the tarp. Helen tries to pull her down. HELEN (crying out) Elaine -- stop it -- CLOSE SHOT rain -- Clay. He wheels his horse at the SOUND of Helen's voice and rides back through the rain toward the wagon. MED. CLOSE SHOT rain -- wagon. Mary pulls on the reins and the mules stop. Twisting them around the whip-stock, she swings back into the wagon bed. She looks up at Clay. MARY She should be in bed where it's dry. In her anxiety, her tone is accusing. Clay drops the reins, climbs into the wagon and bends down beside Elaine. He puts his hand on her forehead. MED. CLOSE rain - DOWN ANGLE - featuring Clay and Mary. CLAY (dryly) Yes, Ma'am, she should... He starts fixing the tarp so it gives more protection to the sick girl. CLAY But the nearest shelter's the Wyatt ranch and that's maybe five hours away. MARY Can we get a doctor at that ranch? CLAY (straightening) No, Ma'am, we can't. We can get a roof and a fire and maybe Mrs. Wyatt knows something about taking care of sick people. ANOTHER ANGLE rain. Clay vaults out of the wagon and mounts his horse. Mary rises and climbs back into the seat. She lashes the mules with the reins. The wagon jolts forward. MED. CLOSE SHOT rain - ANGLED ACROSS seat - (MOVING). Clay rides alongside. Then, without a word, he strips off his slicker, tosses it on the seat and rides off. Mary looks after him, then at the slicker. She hesitates, not wanting to take favors from him. Then she pulls the slicker around her. Taking the whip, she hits the mules. CAMERA ANGLE WIDENS and CAMERA HOLDS. The team breaks into a trot. The cavalcade moves away from camera through drenching rain. DISSOLVE EXT. WYATT RANCH - DAY LONG SHOT - ANGLED THROUGH gate in barbed wire fence. The ranch is nestled in a valley at the base of the Sierras. Green meadowland surrounds the farm buildings which consist of a cabin, barn and sheds, all in good repair and white- washed, as are the corral fences and the picket fence around the house, which stands in a clump of trees. The wind has pushed the clouds back over the hills, but far off there is still thunder. The gate in front f.g. is of barbed wire. It is closed. On the fence post a board is tacked. Neatly lettered on the board is the name: ED WYATT From o.s. comes the SOUND of horses moving restlessly and the creaking of saddle leather, as a man swings out of the saddle. Footsteps approach. A man's head and shoulders, back to camera, comes into scene. He unloops the strand of bailing wire and lets the gate fall open, then turns and we see his face. He is Lednov. His cheek and jowls have a dark growth of beard. He wears a black leather jacket and a wrangler's grey hat. The clothes Forster was wearing. As he moves back to his horse, CAMERA PULLS BACK and PANS AROUND. His companions, McCall and Peters, also wear black leather jackets, sombre, dusty pants and hats. They are mounted on matched roans. The horses are winded, lathered and dirty. It is obvious they have ridden hard. Lednov strides forward and as he reaches for the reins the horse shies away. Brutally he jerks on the reins. The horse rears. He snatches his hat from his head and whacks the horse across the nose. McCall rides over and grabs the reins. Lednov scrambles into the saddle. MED. SHOT ANGLED TOWARD gate. Lednov rides forward through the gate. His horse is limping badly. The others follow. They do not stop to put the gate back up. DISSOLVE EXT. TRAIL - DAY LONG SHOT. Clay's cavalcade moves forward along the trail. There are cloud patches overhead and faintly in the back country thunder rumbles. The mules pull the jolting wagons forward in a slow trot. Clay rides ahead. Steve and the remuda follow. DISSOLVE EXT. WYATT RANCH - DAY FULL SHOT. Lednov, McCall and Peters ride into the yard and up to the horses' trough. The horses plunge their muzzles deep into the trough. As the men dismount, Wyatt, a sinewy little man, hurries from the direction of the barn. MED. SHOT at horse trough. Wyatt, smiling his pleasure, comes up as the three men dismount. WYATT (happily) My name's Wyatt. Certainly glad you boys dropped in. He extends his hand to Lednov. Lednov ignores it. The three men are looking around them. Two work horses, fat and elderly, amble across the corral to nuzzle the roans through the fence. LEDNOV Those the only horses you got? Wyatt is a little taken aback by Lednov's manner. WYATT Why, yes. They're all I need... LEDNOV Mine's gone lame. Take a look at him. Wyatt frowns up at Lednov, angered by the order. LEDNOV Go on, we haven't got all day. McCall and Peters move closer to Wyatt, who glances around worriedly. Realizing he better do as he's told, he goes to the roan and rubs his ears. WYATT Whoa, boy. Let's have a look. Bending, he lifts the horse's hoof. Lednov, McCall and Peters watch him. He drops the hoof, straightens. WYATT He dropped a shoe. You shouldn't be ridin' him. LEDNOV Put on another one. WYATT That won't help the stone bruise. You ain't been around horses much, looks like. LEDNOV Will you quit gabbin' and do what you're told. Wyatt hesitates. Lednov steps toward him. WYATT (frightened, bewildered) All right, but it won't do much good. He picks up the roan's reins and starts leading him into the corral. Lednov, with a jerk of his thumb, indicates that McCall is to go with him. McCall follows. Lednov and Peters turn toward the house. ANOTHER ANGLE As Lednov and Peters start for the house, Mrs. Wyatt, a woman of about fifty, small, plump, browned from the sun and hard from work, comes out on the porch. She has taken off her apron and holds it in her hand. She smiles at the two men. MED. SHOT ANGLED PAST Mrs. Wyatt. She starts down the steps as Lednov and Peters come up. MRS. WYATT I was up to my elbows in flour when you boys rode up, that's why I din't come out sooner. I hope Ed asked you to stay the night? LEDNOV All we want's supper. At his tone, the welcoming smile leaves her face. She looks from one to the other. Lednov pushes past her up the steps and into the house. Mrs. Wyatt follows him with her glance. McCall motions. MCCALL We're in a hurry. DISSOLVE EXT. TRAIL LONG SHOT. In the f.g. the cavalcade moves along the trail. Now the Sierras back of the Wyatt ranch are much closer. The sun has set but it is still light. DISSOLVE EXT. RANCH HOUSE - DAY MED. SHOT. Peters sprawls on the ground, smoking. He looks up as Wyatt and McCall cross from the direction of the barn. PETERS Take care of that horse? WYATT (gruffly) Yeah. The best I could. Wyatt goes on past and hurries up the steps. INT. RANCH HOUSE ANGLED PAST Wyatt. This is the main room of the house -- a living room and kitchen combined: wood-stove against one wall, a sink with a pump against another, a fireplace, some simple furniture and, hanging from one of the rough walls, a concertina. Through an open doorway can be seen the Wyatt's bedroom. Another door, closed, leads into the second bedroom. The house has a warm, well-scrubbed look. Wyatt enters. Mrs. Wyatt, stoking the stove, turns. She glances nervously in the direction of the bedroom. Wyatt shifts his glance to the fireplace -- there is no gun hanging from the hooks above the mantel. Lednov appears in the doorway of the bedroom. WYATT What are you doin' -- LEDNOV Lookin' around. He crosses to the fireplace. He is carrying Wyatt's rifle, gun belt and six gun. LEDNOV These all the shells you got? Wyatt has had as much of this as he can stand. He starts angrily across the room. WYATT Put my guns down and get out of here -- MRS. WYATT Ed -- no, Ed. She crosses to him and stands in his way. Wyatt pushes past her and grabs for the guns. Lednov gives him a swipe with the back of his hand, knocking him away easily. LEDNOV Your old woman's got sense -- you listen to her. Mrs. Wyatt helps Ed to his feet. She puts an arm around him. LEDNOV I asked you -- these all the shells you got? MRS. WYATT (quickly) They's a box in the cupboard over the sink. Lednov crosses to the cupboard and opens it. Finding the box of shells, he slips it in his pocket. LEDNOV (to Ed) Get on about your chores. (to Mrs. Wyatt) And hurry that grub up. Wyatt and his wife look at each other. Then meekly they obey. DISSOLVE OUT EXT. HILLTOP - NIGHT DISSOLVE IN MED. SHOT. Here the trail starts down into the valley. From o.s. comes the SOUND of the cavalcade approaching. Clay rides into the scene and stops on the hilltop to glance ahead. LONG SHOT Clay's ANGLE. A light can be seen ahead in the valley. REVERSE ANGLE Clay turns and rides back toward the wagon. The mules have slowed to a walk in the climb up the hill. MED. CLOSE SHOT on wagon - (MOVING). Clay rides up alongside. Mary is hunched forward on the seat. CLAY Only a little ways now -- maybe a mile. He glances down into the wagon bed where Helen is sitting by Elaine. CLAY How's she makin' out? HELEN (dryly) If she feels worse than I do, she's dyin'. Clay rides back toward the rear. CLAY (calling) Steve -- STEVE'S VOICE Yo -- MED. FULL SHOT The wagon reaches the crest of the hill. Mary hits the mules with the reins. The mules break into a trot. Behind, the remuda comes into view. Clay sits his horse by the side of the trail and watches. EXT. FARM HOUSE - NIGHT MED. SHOT. Mrs. Wyatt stands by the stove, watching the three men at the table. Wyatt sits in a chair by the stove. MCCALL I'll have some more of that coffee. Lednov pushes his chair back and rises. LEDNOV We got to get movin'. MCCALL What for? LEDNOV Because there's a man I want to see. MCCALL He can wait. Let's stay here until morning. Wyatt and his wife exchange frightened glances. That's the last thing they want. LEDNOV (rising) I said let's go. MCCALL (protesting) One night more won't matter. Your friend'll be there. Anyway I don't think so much of the idea of prowling around his ranch. He knows you're out so he ain't going to sit still for it. LEDNOV (fierce) I said I had a guy to see and I'm going to see him. With the fingers of his right hand he automatically rubs his shoulder just above the heart. LEDNOV He gave me something once so I wouldn't forget. PETERS (rising) He says go, we go. Grudgingly, McCall gives in. They exit. Wyatt stares after them raging at his impotence. WYATT If they'd only left me a gun, I'd fix 'em. MRS. WYATT Hush, Ed. Hush. They might come back. EXT. CORRAL - NIGHT MED. FULL SHOT. The three men mount their horse, dig their spurs in and ride away. As they ride toward the gate, Wyatt comes out on the steps. EXT. TRAIL - NIGHT LONG SHOT. Here the trail passes through a narrow draw, then climbs a small rise which overlooks the gate. Clay's caravan jogs along the trail. EXT. HILLTOP - NIGHT LONG SHOT - DOWN ANGLE. The caravan climbs toward camera. CAMERA PANS AROUND to SHOOT DOWN TOWARD the Wyatt ranch. Through the gate ride Lednov, McCall and Peters. They stop for a moment then turn right and trot along the fence line. As they disappear, the SOUND of the caravan's approach is heard o.s. DISSOLVE EXT. WYATT RANCH - NIGHT - (MOONLIGHT) MED. FULL SHOT. Clay gallops into the yard and swings out of the saddle. The farmhouse is dark. INT. FARMHOUSE - NIGHT ANGLED THROUGH window, PAST Wyatt. Clay opens the gate and hurries up the steps and across the porch. EXT. PORCH - NIGHT MED. SHOT. Clay raps on the door. CLAY Mr. Wyatt. WYATT'S VOICE Who is it? CLAY Clay Phillips. The door opens. Wyatt comes out. He pumps Clay's hand. WYATT (calling) You can light the lamp. (to Clay) I'm sure glad it's you. We were afraid those killers might come back. CLAY Three men on matched roans? In the kitchen a match flares as Mrs. Wyatt lights the lamp. WYATT Yeah, how did you know? CLAY The whole state's lookin' for 'em. (dryly) And they're lookin' for me. Mrs. Wyatt comes out to stand in the doorway. She shakes Clay's hand. MRS. WYATT You don't know how good it is to see you. CLAY Maybe you won't feel that way after I tell you what I stopped in for. He turns and motions off. LONG SHOT ANOTHER ANGLE. Clay, Wyatt and Mrs. Wyatt in f.g. The wagon is coming toward the yard followed by the remuda. CLAY I picked up some women on the road. THREE SHOT Clay, Mrs. Wyatt and Wyatt. O.s. the wagon and horses can he heard. MRS. WYATT Tell them to come on in. CLAY But I'm going to have to leave 'em here. They're --- well they're not the sort of people you're used to. MRS. WYATT (a reprimand) It doesn't matter who they are. CLAY (lamely) And one of 'em is sick. MRS. WYATT Why didn't you say so. Go right out and get her. Ed. build the fire up. She turns back into the kitchen. Clay looks after her, then hurries down the steps. Wyatt follows his wife inside. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT Wyatt goes to the stove and starts stoking the fire. Mrs. Wyatt takes the lamp from the wall bracket and goes into the bedroom. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT FULL SHOT. It is a pleasant room with a large, handmade, double bed, white flour sack curtains at wide windows. Mrs. Wyatt puts the lamp on the dresser. Going to the bed she pulls back the covers, feels the sheets. MRS. WYATT (calling) Wrap a stove lid in dish towels and bring it in here. This bed's like ice. MED. SHOT Turning from the bed, she crosses to the dresser. Beside the dresser is a camel-back trunk. She starts to open a dresser drawer, pauses and looks down at the trunk. Moving to the trunk, she hesitates. Then making up her mind, she bends down and throws open the trunk. MED. CLOSE SHOT DOWN ANGLE. A girl's clothing is neatly packed in the trunk. A framed picture is face down on top of the clothing. Mrs. Wyatt kneels by the trunk, pushes the dresses aside and finds a nightgown. CAMERA ANGLE WIDENS as she rises and shakes it out. It is frilly, dainty, very feminino; obviously the nightdress of a young girl. She closes the trunk, turns and as she goes to the bed, Wyatt comes through the door carrying the towel-wrapped stove lid. She lays the nightgown on the bed, takes the stove lid and puts it between the sheets. Wyatt is staring down at the garment. WYATT (cold) Put it back. They face each other. Wyatt reaches out and takes the nightgown. MRS. WYATT Someone might as well get some good out of it. Wyatt crosses to the trunk. MRS. WYATT It isn't as if she was dead. Wyatt opens the trunk, puts the nightgown in and closes the lid. WYATT (cold) It stays there, understand! The slamming of a door o.s. interrupts them. They turn and start for the door. MRS. WYATT (calling) Right in here, Mr. Phillips. She follows Wyatt to the doorway, CAMERA DOLLYING WITH her. She stops in the doorway. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT ANGLED PAST Mrs. Wyatt. Clay, carrying Elaine, bundled in blankets, comes forwar