Scott (on the left), Johnny (on the right) riding towards us with Billy Joe, the deputy trailing behind, also on horseback. As the camera ‘zooms’ in , we see that the boys have their hands tied.
JL: “Hey, Deputy, how come that sheriff of yours is so afraid of our old man?”
BJ: Murdoch Lancer came here to kill him--that might have scared some men, but not Sheriff Haney.
SL: “What did he do, shoot Murdoch?’
JL: “Or did you do it for ‘em?”
BJ: “I’d a done that much for him and more . . Know how I got this job?’
JL: “Oh, just lucky I guess.”
Billy Joe explains that he was a “smart aleck kid” robbin’ and stealin’ and that Sheriff Haney could have had him locked up for years, and didn’t.
SL: ”But he recognized your sterling character and gave you a badge instead.”
(Reaction shot of JL appreciating his brother’s jibe at BJ)
BJ: “That’s right. He gave me a job instead of a prison record.”
SL: “Amen, brother.”
BJ: “That’s the kind of man your father wanted to kill.”
SL: “A tribute to our father’s good taste and judgment.”
BJ: “Hold up. Get down off them horses.”
The boys dismount. BJ tells Johnny to “back off”, drops Scott’s gun belt on the ground and cuts the ropes on his wrists. Tells Scott to pick up the gun belt and put it on.
BJ: “Now, just to show you that I don’t need no special advantage, you draw your gun when you get ready.”
JL: (gestures with bound hands) “Check your gun, Scott.”
BJ: “You keep still, Mister!”
SL glances at JL, JL says again, “C’mon, check it.”
SL extends his right arm and reaches across his body with the left, eyes on the Deputy, removes the gun with his left hand checks it and finds no bullets!!!
Shot of BJ’s reaction--he’s been caught. SL looks at Johnny, says “Empty”, starts to throw the gun at the Deputy, who draws on him, saying “You take it easy, this one ain’t empty.”
SL: “Stay put Johnny--a man who’s capable of as stunt like that is capable of shooting a man with his hands tied, shooting a man in the back or anything else that comes to mind.”
BJ: “Well, you remember that the next time you pay us a visit.” He tosses JL’s gun belt on the ground and rides off.
Johnny: “Get me out of these ropes.” Scott starts to untie him.
JL: “You ever hear the old man even mention Judd Haney?’
SL: “Never. Can’t believe that he tried to kill him, either.” (eye-ther)
JL: “You know that woman back at the hotel--she told a lot of lies, but I don’t think she enjoyed doin’ it. I think we go back there we can get the truth out of her.’
SL: “Care to go back there with a couple of empty guns?’
JL: “Look, something’s happened to Murdoch. We don’t know what, but they do. We’ve got to go back, Scott.” He picks up his gun belt.
SL: “Johnny---there’s a better way. The note, the one that Murdoch left with Jelly.”
JL: puts on his belt, jiggles it around but doesn’t say anything.
SCENE 7
Shot of Lancer ranch at dusk, Jelly in the barn with one of the hands, horse rides up and its Johnny. He asks for a fresh horse. JL says he’s been to Mesa Roja. “Scott too?”, asks Jelly. “He’s waitin’ for me Jelly.” JL explains that he rode back for the note--Jelly immediately replies with “Friday noon, I promised.”
JL: Placing his hands firmly on Jelly’s shoulders: “Listen to me. Now something’s happened to Murdoch--we don’t know if he’s dead or he’s dying, but that note may tell us what we need to know.”
Jelly: “All right, let’s go git it.”
Scene shifts to Sheriff Haney’s office, BJ is there with a rifle. The sheriff enters and asks what he’s doing. BJ thinks the gun may be useful when the Lancer boys get back--he can pick’em off. The sheriff tells him to go home, Haney says that he has duty tonight. And leave that rifle here. BJ does as he’s told, even lockes up the rifle. BJ leaves. Judd Haney sits down at his desk and picks up a piece of paper to look at . . .
Scene shifts once more, now its Johnny’s hands holding Murdoch’s note. He’s seated at the table with Teresa beside him and Jelly standing behind her.
JL reading: “Judd Haney was the first lawman in this area, a back-shooting, murderer who’d kill a man in cold blood and call it justice”---”that sounds like Haney”, he says to Teresa and Jelly.
Teresa: “You’ve met him?”
JL: “He’s the sheriff in Mesa Roja.”
JL continues reading: “Haney sold his protection to the property owners and when I refused to pay, he organized raids on the Lancer ranch.”
Teresa: “My father was the foreman here in those days--he told me about Haney’s raids. Murdoch’s first wife was pregnant then and my father took her East for her own safety.”
JL, is staring at the note, then looks up at her to ask : “Scott’s mother?”
Teresa: “Yeah. Scott was born on the way to Boston; she didn’t survive the trip.”
JL, looking at the note: “Rack up another one for Haney.”
JL reading: “The raids increased more viciously as Haney realized I was the only one standing between him and complete control of the area. For these reasons and more personal ones I swore I would “---JL turns the next page--“kill Haney if he didn’t kill me first. That was twenty five years ago--since then I’ve come to realize that violence resolves nothing. I’ve gone to Mesa Roja to settle the feud with Haney peacefully, and if I don’t return, you’ll know that he didn’t understand.”
Jelly: “Judd Haney--he musta killed him.”
JL: “Jelly, get me some ammunition.”
Abrupt scene shift to Scott’s hand holding a lighted match on Judd Haney’s porch.
Scene shifts to Scott, uses a match to read Haney’s name on the trunk on his porch. Scott’s hat is square on his head and then he pushes it back where we like it to be. He’s sneaking around outside the house in the dark…
Sound of a gun cocking, then we see a rifle barrel--it’s the Mrs.
EH: “Been expecting you to stop by.”
SL turns, looks at her: “Well, its nice to know that I haven’t disappointed you.”
She tells him to go into the house and he has an exasperated “oh,man.” expression.
Immediate shift to Teresa coming out of the Lancer ranch house--she wants Johnny to take some men, he says it’ll slow him down. Jelly says it’ll only take a few minutes for him to saddle up, Johnny says there isn’t time. He rides off and Jelly and Teresa just stand there.
Quick shift back to Mrs Haney taking Scott’s gun out of the holster, telling him to go “over there.”
He sits down. She looks at his gun:
SL: “Don’t worry, its empty.” He sits down, elbows on knees, looking none too happy.
EH: “Empty gun, all alone. You must love your father very much.”
SL: “Would that make any difference?’
EH: “It may help you to understand how I feel. My husband served 18 years in prison. He came out a few months ago a different man, a good man. He’s proved that in this town.”
SL: “I don’t see what that’s got to do---
EH: “Hear me out. I was the one who sent Judd to prison.”
SL: “Your own husband?”
EH explains that they’d been on the run, living in caves, “like animals”. “Too weak to run, too sick to care.” The marshal had told her Judd would only serve a few years and she believed him. “Judd served his sentence--18 years. Now I’m serving mine.”
SL: “For what?’
EH: “For taking 18 years of my husband’s life.”
SL: “You’re a little hard on yourself. You can’t be blamed for that.”
EH talks a bit about how Judd tried not to blame her, but whenever he looks at her, he remembers prison . . .
SL: ”Look, I’m . . I’m sorry. But I came here to find my father. Now where is he?”
EH: “I think you can guess what happened, he’s been shot.”
SL reacts to this news: “Who shot him?”
EH: “I did.”
SL: “I don’t believe you.”
EH: “You‘ve got to believe me. I thought that your father was gonna kill my husband.”
SL: “No, you’re lying to protect him.”
EH insists that Scott has to believe her. She says that Judd won’t accept her love any more, so she tried to “give him something more precious--his life.”
They’ve been standing and talking, now SL leans on the back of a chair that is between them, with some intensity: “But what about Murdoch’s life?’
EH: “He’s alive, thank the Lord. The doctor’s been with him all afternoon.”
SL: “Where is he now?”
EH: “Upstairs. “
SL: “How do I know I can trust you?”
EH: “Will this help?” She hands him the rifle, commenting that she’s a terrible shot anyway, “ask your father.”
Scott inquires where Haney is, she says that she thinks he’s in his office, he’s on duty. He wants to know about the deputy’s whereabouts also, but she says that she doesn’t know. Ellen Haney tells Scott she’ll take him to his father, she leads the way up the stairs.
Sentimental music plays, the door opens, we see that Scott has removed his hat, has a very concerned expression. There’s ML in the bed, eyes closed. Scott says his name, twice and finally ML turns, sees Scott.
ML: “What are you doing here?”, he asks without smiling.
SL: “looking for you. Thought you were dead.”
ML: “I almost was. These folks kept me alive.”
SL: “That’s right, after they put a bullet in your back.”
ML: “I have myself to blame for that, making those stupid threats, threatening to kill a man--Mrs. Haney had no way of knowing I’d changed my mind.” Camera turns to EH.
ML( whispers): “Where’s Johnny?”
SL: “He went back to the ranch to get that note, the one that you left with Jelly.”
ML reacts--SL says “Take it easy, take it easy.”
ML: “If he reads that note, he’ll think Haney killed me--Scott, you’ve got to find him, let him know that I’m alive.”
SL: “Take it easy, he’ll know when he gets here.”
ML: “But you’ve got to find him, tell him the truth before he goes after Haney and guns him down.”
SL: “Take it easy. I’ll find Johnny. You rest, I’ll find him.”
SCENE 8
Sheriff Haney lying on a bunk in a cell, sleeping--pounding on door---he gets up and draws his gun. Scott enters, Haney says “I warned you to stay out of this town.”
Scott holds out his hand to stop him--he’s got his gloves on!!
“Now you don’t need that gun--I just left your wife.” He removes his hat.
JH: “Where?”
SL: “At your house--she’s taking care of my father.”
JH holsters gun: “What’d she tell you?”
SL: “That she’s the one who shot Murdoch.”
JH: “She told you that?”
SL: “That’s right. She’s quite a lady, your wife. She gave you two of the most precious gifts she could give you--her love and your life.”
JH: “Well, she lied to ya. I shot your father.”
SL, smiles: “No she didn’t lie. And you don’t have to protect her anymore. She and Murdoch explained the whole thing to me.”
JH: “I shot Murdoch.”
SL: “Look, don’t complicate it. I came here to intercept Johnny. Now he’s on his way here right now and if I don’t tell him the truth about Murdoch, one of you may end up dead.”
JH looks over at the wall where the gun rack is --”Your brother might be dead right now--that itchy fingered deputy of mine must have come in for that rifle while I was out to supper. He may be out there now waitin’ to pick Johnny off.”
SL: “I’ve got to find Johnny before he does.” Scot heads for the door.
JH, grabs his jacket, “All right, let’s go.”
SL turns: “No--I’ll handle it. Besides, you’ve got a town and a wife to take care of.”
Next scene: Billy Joe with a rifle. He’s climbing up to higher ground. We hear the sound of a horse approaching--Its Johnny. BJ fires, horse and Johnny dramatically go down. The horse is not Barranca.
Cut to shot of SL riding along--hear gunfire.
Back to Johnny, who shoots the deputy--Billy Joe rolls down the slope. JL gets back on his horse and rides off.
SL arrives on the scene--sees BJ lying on the ground, gets off of his horse and goes to him.
.Next image: Murdoch and Ellen Haney, at the Haney’s house. ML is wearing a black sling on his right arm. She’s telling him that he shouldn’t go out, he’s in no condition, there’s no reason for him to do so. ML says that those shots that they heard are reason enough. EH comments that it could just be hunters.
ML: “Or a man firing at another man.”
EH: “Johnny? Scott’s gone there to stop him, to tell him the truth.”
ML: “Mrs. Haney, don’t you realize what a thin line that is? If Scott should ever come to believe, as I once did, that your husband was responsible for his mother’s death---
EH: “Judd wasn’t responsible. Sending her away didn’t cause her death, that could have happened anyway.”
ML while putting on his jacket with EH‘s assistance: “I realize that now, but it took a lotta years . . You know, its really ironic, that 25 years ago, I went after your husband for something he wasn’t wholly responsible for . . Now, after all these years, that he’s come here for the same purpose, picking up where his old man left off. I only hope he has sense enough to listen when I wouldn’t.”
ML puts on his hat, they exit, go outside and get into a buggy, EH driving.
SCENE 9
Haney is in his office, Johnny rides up, jumps very quickly off of his horse. Very dramatic music. Back inside, Haney checks his gun and sits in his chair at his desk.
Johnny outside, scans the street, then opens the door and walks in.
Haney swivels in his chair, facing Johnny. They look at each other in silence.
JH: “What’s on your mind, Johnny?”
JL: “You are sheriff.”
JH: “You’re making a big mistake.”
JL: “No, no, I’m not making a mistake. My father did, 25 year sago he should have killed you. So now I’m gonna do it for ‘em.”
Silence, they look at each other.
JH gets up. “Johnny, will you listen to me for a minute.?”
JL: “You want a minute, huh? All right, I’ll give you a minute.”
Johnny turns sideways to JH, removes his hat with his right hand, tosses it, sits down facing Haney.
JH: “Murdoch’s not dead--he was shot, wounded, but he’s still alive.”
JL points at Haney: “You just wasted the first ten seconds.”
JH: “Now Scott was here, he coulda told ya--”
JL: “Where’s Scott now?”
JH: “Went out to find Billy Joe.”
JL: “Well, that’s funny. I didn’t have any trouble finding Billy Joe.”
JH: “What ever Billy Joe mighta tried---
JL: “an ambush.”
JH: “I had nothing to do with it.”
JL: “You pinned the badge on him, he takes his orders from you sheriff.”
JH: “Not that one, you gotta believe me Johnny.”
Johnny actually thinks about this. “Well, you said Murdoch was shot, who did it?”
JH: “That’s got nothing to do with it.”
JL: “You got a funny way of looking at things--you want me to believe you, you tell me who did it.”
Waits--silence. Haney shakes his head.
JL: “Okay, I guess that’s the end of the string then, uh?”
Dramatic music.
JH: “Johnny, your father alive, he’s at my house. C’mon, I’ll take you to him.”
Haney and Johnny exit the sheriff’s office--Haney puts on his hat, but Johnny leaves his behind.
JL: “Haney, hold it. What you doing, stalling for time, you gonna set up another ambush.”
JH: “I’m trying to be honest with you, Johnny.”
JL: The only thing honest about you , Haney, is hanging from your hip. Now you can use it any time.”
Here come ML and Mrs Haney--ML is shouting Johnny’s name, but he can’t hear him, too far away. ML fires a rifle several times. Johnny reacts to the gun fire and turns, sees the buggy with ML in it.
JL, small smile: “You sure do make a lot of noise, Murdoch.”
ML: “the only way I could get your attention.”
JL: “you all right?”
ML: “Would I be here if I wasn’t?”
Sounds of horses approaching--its Scott with Billy Joe.
Scott: “Hey sheriff--what do we do with him?”
Haney: “Take of his badge and put him in jail.”--which he does.
Mrs. Haney: “Mount up and follow us home, I’ll fix you some breakfast. You too Judd.”
Haney: “I’ll be there, I’m starved-” Mrs Haney beams--first real smile from her!
SCENE 10
At the Haney’s home: after breakfast, the Lancers are leaving.
EH: “You sure you’re well enough to travel, Mr. Lancer?”
ML: “’Course I am, Mrs. Haney, and thank you for the use of your buggy.”
Scott has left the scene, without a good bye to the hosts. Johnny says good bye to them and they speak to him.
JH: “Murdoch, I’m grateful to you.”
ML: “Grateful?”
JH: “For staying alive, among other things.’
Ml shakes hand with Haney, ML using his left hand, since the right is still in a sling.
Outside, ML gets in the buggy, Johnny is driving him. Scott is on horseback leading the other men’s horses.
ML: “Let’s go home boys.”
Ending: the Haneys on their porch, JH with his arm around the mrs.
EH: “You had no right trying to shoot it out with Johnny Madrid.”
JH: “I had my reasons---
EH: “I know your reasons.”
Haney looks at her: “That Scott Lancer talks too much.”
THE END
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