22 quotes
Confrontation Over Unfollowed Rules
Jason McCullough
Joe. I took the bullets out. You just won't play the game, will you? I keep layin down the rules, and you don't pay any attention.
[Joe jumps and starts to pull his revolver out of the holster]
Joe Danby
You just wait til my Pa and two brothers find out you got me in here, boy.
[glowers as he hands over the gun and belt]
Jason McCullough
Oh, I'm lookin forward to meetin your whole family.
[he leads Joe back inside the jail]
Joe Danby
If it weren't bad enough that I had to get dragged outta that saloon in front of all my friends...
Jason McCullough
Oh, I don't think you have all that many friends that you really need to worry.
Joe Danby
Then I have to sit there in that lousy cell! Pa's gonna skin me alive for gettin caught!
[he returns to the cell and sits down]
Jason McCullough
He don't mind you murdering a man, he just doesn't like you gettin caught, huh?
Joe Danby
I didn't murder anybody, that was self-defense! It was him or me!
[holds out his wrists as McCullough puts handcuffs on him]
Jason McCullough
Well, we'll let the judge decide that. Ah, we...do have a judge around here, don't we?
Joe Danby
We never needed one til you came along and ruined everything!
Jason McCullough
Spoiled all your fun, huh, Joe?
Joe Danby
You can say that again! Oh, thats funny. That's REAL funny!
[he notices McCullough emptying bullets from his revolver; McCullough grins, winks at him and walks away]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Debating the Nature of Self-Defense
Joe Danby
Alright, y'all saw it! And it was a fair fight. He drew first... so it's self-defense.
[having just killed a man in a draw at the saloon]
Bartender
Oh, I saw it, Joe, he drew first!
Barfly
Oh, you couldn't call that anything but self-defense!
Jason McCullough
Well, it may have been a lot of things, but self-defense it wasn't. And he didn't draw first; you did.
Joe Danby
...What do you mean by that?
Jason McCullough
Oh, it's an old trick. You did it pretty well; not really well, but pretty well. You feinted him into drawing with your left shoulder, while you were going for your gun with your right hand. It's an old Arizona trick, but I- I have seen it used as far north as Montana.
Joe Danby
... Are you callin me a liar?
[nods]
Jason McCullough
Well, now you heard every word I said, and not once did I call you a liar. All I said was, you feinted him with your left shoulder into going for his gun while you were going for yours with your right hand.
Joe Danby
So what?
Jason McCullough
You beat that poor man to the draw. He's dead, and you're alive; that's the whole idea of the game, isn't it?
[coldly]
Joe Danby
... What's your name?
Jason McCullough
Jason McCullough. What's yours?
Joe Danby
Joe Danby. And you had better remember it.
Jason McCullough
Oh, I'll remember it, Joe. That's about all I'm gonna do, the rest of my life, is go around rememberin your name.
[sarcastically; finishes his drink and leaves]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Sheriff's Warning and Free Drinks
Bartender
Remember what the sheriff said! No more shootin til the sun goes down!
Barfly
Is that what he said?
Bartender
That's close enough, brother! Drinks are on the house!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Intervening in a Conflict
Jason McCullough
Break it up!
[the various mud-covered townspeople stagger apart and stare at him as the water is turned off]
Jake
Whattaya think you're tryin to do?!
Jason McCullough
Stoppin a fight.
Jake
Who're you?
Jason McCullough
Ah, I'm the new Sheriff.
[gestures to his badge]
Jake
Oh- we got a new Sheriff! Let's see if he scares as easy as the last Sheriff.
[grins; the townspeople laugh]
Jason McCullough
Now, I want all you people to quit disturbing the peace, and clean up this mess.
Jake
Uh, yes sir. Anything else?
Jason McCullough
You got a name?
Jake
Jake.
Jason McCullough
All right, now Jake, I want you to go down to the men's saloon. There's a fellow in there by the name of Joe Danby. You tell him I remember his name, and he's under arrest for murder. I'll be around to pick him up in about twenty minutes.
Jake
...You talking to me?
[looking horrified]
Jason McCullough
You hard of hearin'?
Jake
You want me... to go tell Joe Danby... that he's under arrest for murder?! What are you gonna do after he kills me?!
[McCullough nods]
Jason McCullough
Then I'll arrest him for both murders.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Impact of Greed on Relationships
Jason McCullough
Hey Jake! How do you think we ought to split whatever we find? Sixty-forty?
[Relaxing against a tree]
Jake
Sixty for who, and forty for who?
[With backpack filled with dynamite and equipment on his back and a wet fish in either hand]
Jason McCullough
There you see? See what gold does to men? We haven't even found anything, and already we're arguing about it!
Jake
Sixty for who, and forty for who?
Jason McCullough
I just wish you could see the greed in your face.
Jake
What you mean is sixty for you, and forty for me!
Jason McCullough
Well thank you Jake. That's very generous of you.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Qualifications for the Job Discussion
Olly Perkins
... You ain't said nothing yet about your qualifications for the job.
Jason McCullough
Oh, don't worry, if I take it, you'll be glad you had me.
Olly Perkins
Well, it ain't just the question of you taking the job, it's also a question of you bein able to handle it!
Henry Johnson
Olly, we ain't exactly in a position to be choosy.
[warningly]
Fred Jackson
And him bein willing to talk about it at all, certainly shows the right attitude!
Olly Perkins
I don't care what it shows! I'm the mayor of this town, and it's my responsibility to hire us a sheriff that's not only got qualifications, but that ain't gonna get himself killed the first time he sticks his nose out the door!
Henry Johnson
We both know that-
[He breaks off as McCullough steps away, pulls a washer from one of the hardware shelves, flips it into the air, and fires his revolver at it. Catching it, he passes it to Perkins, who examines it]
Olly Perkins
... What's your point, Mr. McCullough?
Jason McCullough
Oh, no point, just exhibition of marksmanship. The bullet went right through that hole in the center there.
Olly Perkins
Yeah, well, maybe it did, and maybe it didn't.
Jason McCullough
Oh, it did, you can take my word for it.
Olly Perkins
Yeah, well, I'd like to take your word, but... Would you mind doing it again, Mr. McCullough?
[he goes behind the counter, covers the washer's center with tape, and returns]
Jason McCullough
... You want me to do it again?
Olly Perkins
If you don't mind.
Jason McCullough
Well, I already shot one hole through your roof-
Olly Perkins
That's all right.
Olly Perkins
... I hope you didn't take offense, at anything I might've said earlier.
[swallows]
Jason McCullough
Oh, not at all.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Questioning the Town's Violent Lifestyle
Jason McCullough
Now, is this the kind of town you people want for yourselves? Is this the kind of life you want to lead? I mean, three killings in one saloon alone, and the sun hasn't even gone down yet! Now, any more of this foolishness, and I'm gonna close this place up tight!
[addressing the saloon's patrons]
Bartender
Yes sir! I wouldn't blame you one bit, sir!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Badge with a Story
Jason McCullough
Is there some kinda badge that comes with this job?
Olly Perkins
Oh, you bet there is! I'm afraid it's a little bent-up.
[he brings it over]
Jason McCullough
Oh, that's no trouble. Must've save the life of whoever was wearing it at the time.
[examines a bullet-dent in the badge]
Olly Perkins
Well it sure would've, if it hadn't been for all them other bullets flyin in from everywhere!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Three Against One: A Confident Proposition
Luke Danby
Why don't the three of us go over there together? I don't care if he is the fastest gun to ever hit anywhere.
Pa Danby
Who says he's the fastest gun to ever hit anywhere?
Tom Danby
Everyone. That's all they're talkin about, all over town!
Luke Danby
Besides, what could he do against three of us?
Pa Danby
He could kill two of us.
Tom Danby
So who's gonna take care of him?
Luke Danby
Well, who says anybody's gotta take care of him? Why don't we just run him outta town, like we did the last Sheriff?
Pa Danby
Because this one won't go.
Tom Danby
... You ain't talkin like yourself, Pa.
Luke Danby
Yeah, it was always you chargin in, and us two tryin to hold you back.
Tom Danby
He didn't throw a scare into you, did he, Pa? I- I didn't mean that the way it sounded! I didn't mean, "did he throw a scare into you", I meant... well, what did he do to you, Pa?
[Pa glares at him]
Pa Danby
He maybe made me more thoughtful. He maybe made me realize, that now that we've got a little money for the first time in our lives, and- and got a chance to get a whole lot more... this'd be a dumb time to find out who's the fastest with a gun, us or some show-off who might get lucky even if he... even if he weren't good!
Luke Danby
So what are we gonna do about him?
Pa Danby
Ah, there's always some tramp that's good with a gun that can be hired.
Luke Danby
But you always say "the Danbys fight their own battles.
Pa Danby
... Well, maybe I was talking about another branch of the family. (Luke and Tom look confused) Now, I'm gonna take a little trip tomorrow, and I want you two to behave yourselves while I'm gone- I don't want no one to make no martyr out of that sheriff.
Tom Danby
... What's a martyr?
Pa Danby
(sarcastically) Oh, I'm sorry- they didn't use words like that in the third grade, did they?
Tom Danby
How would I know? I never got that far. You remember all them years I was stuck in the second grade.
[Pa scoffs and leaves]
Luke Danby
Ah, shaddup!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Conversation About Origins in the West
Jake
How long you been out West?
Jason McCullough
About four years.
Jake
From where?
Jason McCullough
...the East.
Jake
I was raised up in ]!
[[w:Indiana|Indiana]
Jason McCullough
Well, that could be either good or bad.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Inquiries About the Sheriff Position
Jason McCullough
Are you the man I talk to-
Olly Perkins
You’ll have to wait your turn, Mister, there’s three ahead of you-
[not looking up]
Jason McCullough
About the job of sheriff?
[everyone in the room turns towards him, shocked]
Olly Perkins
...You interested in the job of sheriff?
Jason McCullough
Oh, maybe; how much does it pay?
Customer
Well, none of our sheriffs ever lived long enough to find out!
[Everyone else laughs]
Olly Perkins
Uh, boys, why don't you go watch the fight outside? You can go too, Sam. Very good fight out there. I'm Olly Perkins, the mayor here.
[Offers McCullough his hand]
Jason McCullough
Jason McCullough.
Olly Perkins
Henry Johnson, Fred Jackson, and Tom Jeffries. And Fred and Henry are members of the Town Council.
[indicates his three friends as they shake hands]
Tom Jeffries
And I represent the mine-owners.
Jason McCullough
Nice to meet you, gentlemen.
Olly Perkins
What that fellow said just now, ain't strictly true. We've had three sheriffs in the last six months, but only two of em got killed.
Jason McCullough
Well, what happened to the third?
Olly Perkins
Well, he quit, kinda sudden-like. I don't think he had exactly the right temperment for the job.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Discontent Among Mine-Owners and Local Leadership
Tom Jeffreys
All this may seem very amusing to the Mayor and the members of the Town Council, but we mine-owners haven't had a thing to laugh about since we started here!
Olly Perkins
We don't think it's funny, Tom- we just don't know what to do about it.
Tom Jeffreys
For that matter, what we need is a new Mayor and a Town Council that does know what to do about it!
Olly Perkins
Now, what kinda talk is that?! We all know the only reason I'm Mayor and the other two are Councilmen, is because nobody else wanted the job. And don't forget, Tom, we're all mine-owners ourselves!
Tom Jeffreys
Well, do you enjoy giving twenty percent of everything you take out of the mines to the Danby family?
Henry Johnson
Why would we enjoy it?
Tom Jeffreys
Well, alright then! Let's do something about it!
Olly Perkins
What? You all know the situation! There's us, here in Calendar, and there's Galena where we've gotta ship our gold- and there's the Danby ranch, halfway in between! The road even runs through their property.
[gestures at a map]
Tom Jeffreys
Alright, fine, then we'll build the road around their property.
Olly Perkins
HOW?! They own that whole valley!
Fred Jackson
Besides, if they don't get their twenty percent, they just hold up every stage that comes through, and take all of it!
Tom Jeffreys
Alright, but we've gotta do something! Even if it means bringing troops in here!
Olly Perkins, Henry Johnson, Fred Jackson
Troops?!
Olly Perkins
What troops? From where? The nearest troops are five hundred miles away!
Tom Jeffreys
Alright, then we recruit our own.
Olly Perkins
How? We can't even recruit enough dishwashers, so how are we gonna raise any troops?
Henry Johnson
Nobody wants to stop prospecting long enough to take a bath, let alone join an army.
Olly Perkins
It all happened so fast, we haven't had a chance to really get organized yet.
Fred Jackson
And the Danbys are taking advantage of it.
[nods]
Henry Johnson
There goes one of em now.
[points out the window]
Fred Johnson
Which one's he?
Olly Perkins
Joe. Out of the father and three brothers, he's about the second-toughest.
Henry Johnson
They all act like they own the place.
Tom Jeffreys
The way things are set up right now, they do. And it's gonna stay that way, til we can find ourselves a sheriff that won't turn tail and run the minute someone takes a shot at him!
[darkly]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Consequences of Choices in a Small Town
Pa Danby
Whattaya mean, you helped set in them bars?!
Joe Danby
Well, I didn't have nothin else to do! And they was gonna set the bars in, whether I helped them out or not!
Pa Danby
Yeah, well, they'll hang you, whether you help them out or not!
Joe Danby
Oh, Pa, I don't think they're gonna hang me. I mean, they joke and they laugh about it, but I don't think they're really gonna do it!
Pa Danby
Ah, you'll soon see whether they'll hang you or-
Jake
Don't move! What's going on back here?
[comes around the jail with a shotgun]
Pa Danby
Well, that's all I need: some stable-bum orderin me around! Now, this is my saddle, and I'm takin it with me.
[retrieves his saddle]
Jake
I know it ain't mine, so go ahead.
Pa Danby
In just a few days now, I'm gonna take care of you!
[pokes Jake's chest; leaves]
Jake
What was he tryin to do- bust you out of here?
Joe Danby
Yeah. And you know Pa. Got a heart as big as the whole outdoors... but he don't have one brain in his poor old head.
[Jake looks bewildered]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confrontation Over a Child's Detention
Pa Danby
I believe you got one of my children in your jail here!
Jason McCullough
How dare you walk into my office and pull a gun on me.
Pa Danby
Get your finger outta the end of my gun!
[shocked]
Jason McCullough
How dare you pull a gun on me!
Pa Danby
I said, take your finger outta the end of my gun!
Jason McCullough
Well, until I do, you better take your finger off that trigger, and let that hammer down real slow.
Pa Danby
If that gun had gone off, it'd have blowed up right in my face!
Jason McCullough
Yeah, well it wouldn't have done my finger a hell of a lot of good, either, would it? What can I do for you, Mr. Danby?
Pa Danby
My son, Joe!
Jason McCullough
Well, it seems Joe murdered a man this afternoon.
Pa Danby
The way I heared it, he killed a man in a fair gunfight!
Jason McCullough
I was standin right there...
Pa Danby
You was standin right where?
Jason McCullough
In the saloon, when Joe killed him.
Pa Danby
Well now, that was real smart of him, weren't it?
Jason McCullough
I've been around Joe all afternoon, and I haven't seen him do one smart thing yet. Anything else?
Pa Danby
Can I see him?
Jason McCullough
Now, why didn't you take that approach when you first came in? He's right back there.
[smiles]
Pa Danby
I'm obliged to ye.
[sarcastically]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Sheriff Sparks Family Confusion
Pa Danby
All right, now he's done it!
Luke Danby
Who?
Pa Danby
That sheriff!
Tom Danby
What's he done?
Pa Danby
He's pushed me too far this time, that's what he's done! I've been bendin over backwards up til now! But that's all finished! You know I've been bendin over backwards!
[to Luke]
Luke Danby
Well, you sure ain't let him push you into no corner, where you could be provoked into losin your temper.
Pa Danby
Right! But from now on, I'm tired of bein a nice fella!
Tom Danby
Pa...you been touchin up your hair again?
Pa Danby
Whattaya mean, "again"?!
[outraged]
Tom Danby
Nothin'! Just, it looks better in spots, that's all!
[quickly]
Pa Danby
Whattaya mean, "spots"?!
[even more outraged]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Sheriff and His Deputy Discuss Jail Conditions
Pa Danby
That's a lousy jail you got back there.
Jason McCullough
Oh, we're just getting started.
Pa Danby
What's he supposed to be?
Jason McCullough
Oh, that's my deputy.
[Jake shows his badge]
Pa Danby
Why, just last week he was shovelin horse- he was workin around the stables!
Jason McCullough
Well, he's been promoted.
Pa Danby
...I'm gonna find out what's happenin to this town!
[storms out]
Jake
... What'd Danby want?
Jason McCullough
Oh, he came in, we talked a little while, he went in to see Joe, he came back out, we talked a bit more, then he left. You know... he strikes me as bein a lonely man.
[Jake nods]
Jake
Lonely? Danby?! Why, he's a mean, low-down no-good bushwhacker!
Jason McCullough
There, you see? No wonder he's lonely.
[Jake looks confused]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Town's Despair and Shared Responsibility
Prudi Perkins
Well, you might as well forget gettin any help outta this town! Or from any town, from about a hundred miles around!
Jason McCullough
Well, that covers just about everyone, doesn't it?
Prudi Perkins
They can throw an unarmed girl out of a courtroom, but they can't even defend their own town against a bunch of cutthroats like the Danbys! Well, what are we gonna do now?
[Jake enters]
Jason McCullough
We?
Jake
Don't turn down any help you can get.
Jason McCullough
How's Joe?
Jake
Oh, he figures he's gonna be out by tomorrow, and we're all gonna be dead.
Jason McCullough
Did he seem to feel any... sorrow, over the fact that we might all be killed?
Jake
No, it's more like he planned to dance and spit, all over our graves.
Jason McCullough
Sounds like Joe.
Jake
That- that sure was a good idea you had about leavin town.
Jason McCullough
Well, you don't have to stay.
Jake
Oh, yes I do. I have to stay if you do, because I took the job!
[firmly]
Jason McCullough
So did I.
[smiles]
Jake
I tell you what: I'll even go to Australia with you, if we leave right now!
Jason McCullough
Oh, we'll get to Australia all right, but right now there's some things for us to take care of. Prudi, you really want to help?
Prudi Perkins
Sure!
Jason McCullough
Well, then: I've got a couple of ideas, and if they work, we might just live through this!
[leaves]
Jake
...I sure did like his idea about leavin'.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Town's Troubled Past and Present Perspectives
Prudi Perkins
I mean, do you remember what this town was like before? Murdering, lynching, miners shooting up the place day and night?
Fred Jackson
And aside from the few things you just mentioned, it wasn't a bad town at all!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Qualifications for an Unexpected Sheriff Role
Jake
You ever been the sheriff of a town that needed cleanin up before?
Jason McCullough
No, I haven't.
Jake
You ever been the sheriff of any kinda town?
Jason McCullough
No, not that either. But, the mayor seemed to think that my qualifications suited the job perfectly.
Jake
Yeah, well, he'd've thought that if you was blind in both eyes, and crippled in both legs!
Jason McCullough
I think you've got the situation pegged, Jake.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Unusual Prison Conditions and Distrustful Authority
Joe Danby
Hi, Pa!
Pa Danby
What is this? No bars in the window, no bars in the cell... no bars nowhere! What's keepin you in here?!
[staring in disbelief as he enters the unfinished cells]
Joe Danby
That guy out there! He won't let me move two inches, without jumpin down my throat! Besides, he lies to me about whether or not my gun is loaded.
Pa Danby
He does WHAT?!
Joe Danby
Are you gonna get me outta here or not?
Pa Danby
...Never mind that! Who was it ye killed?
Joe Danby
I don't know his name, he was some bum in the saloon! Besides, he drew first! What, are you gonna believe me, or are you gonna believe that liar out there?!
[pause]
Pa Danby
Why don't you shut up?!
Joe Danby
Pa, it wasn't anybody that we know! Pa, you always told me there wasn't a jail been built that could hold a Danby.
Pa Danby
Well, now they built one! You'll have to stay here for a couple of days.
[Joe groans in disappointment]
Joe Danby
But we run this town!
Pa Danby
I gotta throw-in with that sheriff that you don't exactly dazzle nobody with your intelligence!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Frustration with the Sheriff’s Actions
Pa Danby
NOW HE'S REALLY DONE IT!
Tom Danby
Who?
Pa Danby
THAT SHERIFF!
[Luke tries to help him up, but Pa smacks him away]
Joe Danby
I coulda told y'all that it wasn't gonna work!
Pa Danby
Why not?
Joe Danby
Because they set these bars in too solid!
Pa Danby
Whatta you know about anything?!
Joe Danby
I'm the one that helped set em in!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Job Offer and Uncertainty in Sheriff Role
Jake
How much money am I makin at this job?
Jason McCullough
Well, let's see: I'm the sheriff, they're payin me about a hundred and fifty dollars a month, so that would put your salary at about half that, plus room and board? Plus all the ammunition you'd need to carry out the job. Of course, I haven't checked out your employment with the mayor and the town council yet...
Jake
You mean there's a chance they might turn me down?
[eagerly]
Jason McCullough
...no, I don't think so. No, I think their attitude is gonna be, "if we found somebody cra--willing to take the job, don't rock the boat.
[Jake looks crestfallen]
Jake
] You can bet that's what their attitude's gonna be.
[grumpily]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.