Igrant. What are you, then . Id prefer not to say at this time. But i assure you, my mission is quite legitimate, and im willing to pay my way. Well . We might be able to arrange fofoyou to come along with us. I judge from your tone that im being taken on probation. Thats right, you are. All the same, im obliged, major. Fall in behind that third wagon there. Thank you, major. Here ya are, major. I just poured it. Thanks, charlie. Oh, uh. Now, mr. Cato. Ive been expecting you, major. We dont have to beat around the bush, huh . No, i dont lilike quibbling myself. Thats good. Some of the folks on the train are getting a little stirred up the way youre Walking Around looking at em, looking into their wagons. That makes it my business to find out just what the devil youre up to. Well, i guess maybe i did go a little too far. I want to know who youre looking for, and why. The man im looking for is not a member of your train. Ive established that to my satisfaction. Or maybe he is, and youre just biding your time until circumstances are more favorable for you. I have been combing this country for this man, first east of the mississippi, now west, for nearly two years. No, major, if id found him today. Id have got down to my business right then and there. And for your further information, the day i do find him will be the most fortunate day of hisisife. Oh . Youre surprised . Yeye a little. A little . Yeah. You see, mr. Catat out in this country, when one man is looking for another seriously, t t way youve been going about it one of those men is apt to end up dead. Of c crse, i suppose that would be the standard objective you know, you kind of rouse my curiosity. One man scours the country for nearly two years, you saidid looking for another, just to hand him a real pleasant surprisese i dont feel obliged to reveal the details of my mission. You have a choice, mr. Cato. Either you convince me that you mean no trouble for anybody on this train, or well, its a nice, moonlit night, im sure youll have no trouble finding the trail. Okin for disappeared from his home in the east about two years ago. Shortly after he left, a relative died, leaving a considerable estate. Most of it was willed to this man. There were other heirs, but they cant benefit until the estate is settled. You represent this estate, huh . I was engaged by the law firm that handles the estate. I would hardly consider that making trouble for anyone. No, no. Not unless you were looking for him for some other reason. You dont have to be in some kind of trouble to want to disappear trueue maybe he wanted to make a new life for himself as far away as he could get from the old life that wasnt good to him. True, true. Now, why dont you put your britches back on and just sit down . You convinced now . Not necessarily, no. All right, ill go a step further. Ill describe the man im looking for. Theres a a re chance that you might have encountered him sometime, somewhere,. Could be, yes. His true name is john thomas daly, known to his friends as jack daly. Name doesnt mean a thing to me. Whats he look like . Well, hed be about thirty now. A hundred and sixty, hundred and seventy pounds, wiry build, green eyes, brown hair, a slight scar on his upper left cheek. I wouldnt know, mr. Cato. Yep, that was it. An arrowpierced heartrt id kind of like to see this young fella. Whatd you say his name was, jack what . Daly. Jack daly. Id like to see the look on his face when you hand him that big inheritance. But, then, i guess i never will. cause i dont recollect ever having seen him. Im sure id remember if i had. Im sure you would. You want me to put the stock in the center of the circle . Major . What . You want me to put the stock in the center of the circle . Yeah, sure, bill, use your own judgment. Cato . Yep, cato. That fella he was talking about sounds just like yeah, i know he does. course, he e uld be telling the truth. Could be. Ive heard about these missing heirs takes years to find em sometimes. Well, we should know by tomorrow, we hit clearwater by dark. Im gonna take a little ride. You and charlie take over, will ya . Clearwater . Im m outing an indian party. You savvy . I follow ya. I wont be back by morning, so you and charlie get em m lling. At happens if these people ask why we quit three hours before dark . Just tell em that this is the lala good water there is before clearwater. Thats right, it is. Major, say hello to well, just anybody you might run into. Jim. M. Major adams jim collins. By gosh, its good to see ya. Thats my boy seth adams collins, youre my man ha ha baby crying . We ride a big horse, here we go . Major, youre going to spoil him haha to death. Oh, im not either. Or scare him to death. Hes gonna make a fine, big wagon master with those lunun even a future wagon master has to have his beauty rest. You know, jim collins. Youre a mighty lucky young fella. Youre so right. Ure here. Well, a man doesnt need a reason to visit his own godson, does he . No. Wouldnt hold out on the press, would you, major . By golly, thats right. I forgot. Jim, i never did figure you to be a newspaperman. Well, i never was one before. Never was much of anything till i met millie. Well, you were a right handy boy around the wagon train, for a greenhorn. Jack of all trades, master of none. Besides, i was trying to make an impression on a pretty girl. Not that i gave him any encouragement, you understand. First time i laid eyes on him i vowed i wouldnt give him the time of day. And the first time i ever laid eyes on her, i vowed shed be giving me all her time for the rest of her life. Loves like catching the measles. You dont just decide to break out in spots, you do. Anyway, a girld be out of her mind to marry a man with two wives. With twowhat . ask anybody in clearwater, theyll say, jim collins, he isnt just married to millie, hes married to that newspaper as well. Im afraid shes right. Anyway, he spends more time with bessie than he does with me. Bessie . Bessie who . Oh, a printing press. Kind of a temperamental old girl, needs a lot of love and attention. Oh. You think i dont, huh . No, youre spoiled already. Oh, i am, am i . Come on, got to get the front page to bed. If bessie doesnt get her rest, theres no newspaper in the morning. Major, would you like to come along . Shouldnt take over an hour or so. I think ill just sort of hang around here and flirt with this pretty wife of yours, if youve got no objections. Would it make any difference . Not a bit. Thats what i figured. If it gets too late, dont wait up. He says that every week; every week, i wait up. Naturally. See you later, jim. Hes a good editor. Hes like my dad. He used to say, a real newspaperman, cut him and hell bleed printers ink. Yeah, ive heard that. Uh. Millie, i your father. Yes . We all liked him very much. He was a fine man. Yes, he was. He was fine and brave and generous. Somehow i figured hed get well out in this country drdrclimate, high, clean air. They did. It wasnt his lungs, it was his back. What was the matter with his back . Had four bullets in it. What happened, millie . Well, dad bought the clearwater record by mail. He thought it was cheap. When we got here, we found out why. Nick dawson you ever hear of the man . Yeah. Gambler, isnt he . Gambling is a part of his business, i guess. Was he the one thth did your father in . This was his town. It was wide open, tough as they come. Dad decided to fight him. You know, the pen is mightier than the sword. You ever try to stop a bullet with newsprint . What about the law, millie . There wasnt any. Thats why jim took over. Ran the newspaper. He talked to the people. He even petitioned to get us a u. S. Deputy marshal here. There was an election coming up, and dawsons boys always won. Well, this time, they lost. What happened to dawson and his gang . Three of his men were hanged. The court let dawson off. Insufficient evidence. You know, folks say this is jims town now. And its gonna grow, because jim made it happen. Millie, im mighty proud to hear you say that. Im proud too. Hey, hey thats nothing to o y about. You dont cry when youre happy. Come on, honey, whats the matter . I guess im just scared, thats all. What are you scared of . Surely not dawson. No. Its just that everythings been so wonderful, so perfect, now, now, now, its not gonna end. Its gonna stay the way it is, believe me. Is it . Sure it is. I think you better tell me, major. Tell you . It . Tell you what, millie . Is he in trouble . Well, i. I dont know yet, millie, you see, we didnt know anything about jim before he joined the wagon train where he came from, what he was but it just seemed like when he crossed that Mississippi River he crumpled up his past like an old dirty shirt that he didnt need he left it on the other side of the river. Well, there were 100 wagons in the e ain, major. Some of em were filled up, like my dads, i felt that was their business. Sure it was, millie. But youre married to jim now. Did he ever say anything about his past to you . You may not believe this, major, but when a woman loves a man the way i loveveim, she doesnt ask questions. Did he ever mention to you the name of jack daly . No. Or jasper cato . baby cries excuse me. Sure. millie screams dalys dead. Youre sure of that, huh . Im sure. Theres a fella on the train coming into town tomorrow says h hs looking for jack daly. Says hes got some kind of an inheritance for him. Two years. Two years for what . who is he, jim . Jasper cato . Hes a detective for the Boston Police department. And daly . Well, i guess i was wrong about daly. I guess he isnt dead. Two years ago in boston he stole a thousand dollars. He stole it from the best friend he ever had. Why dont you say it . Nothing to say, jim. Just a common criminal. Hunt him down, trap him, cage him a menace to society. Y. Chuckles and stupid, too. Thought he could make a fresh start, change his name. Fall in love, have a home, wife, kids. A thief and a fool. You wouldnt want to have anything to do with a man like that, major. But you take a man like jim cololns, now. Jim collins is a friend of mine. And i love his wife. His kid is my godson. If there was ever anything i could do for him well, its like i said, jim collins is my friend. There were reasons the war, my folks being killed well, maybe not reasons. Just excuses. Doesnt matter. Te. No, it doesnt. Its too late. Tomorrow jasper cato comes to clearwater. Cato hehe here now. I didnt suspect at first, major, why you made camp so early and rode leisurely off to the north. But when i found that your tracks turned sharply to the west, looks like i decided r rht. Ready, daly . My pressman comes in before breakfast. I have a few things id like to set up for him, if you dont mind. Why not . Im a patient man, remember . I remember. Drop it im not foolin jim, youre out of your head. Theres rope in that drawer. Get it for me. All right now, sit down. Jim, this is not gonna help any. D . If you start running again now, youre never gonna stop. I am. How the devil can you do this to thehe i told you id stand behind you. Im sorry it had to end this way, jor. Just tell millie well. Tell her i love her. Jim, theres anonoer way to handle this whole thing. Good work, major. Now, if youll help me with these handcuffs. I think youll find the key in one of my hip pockets. Hurry, man, hurry. Its a moonlit night hell leave a good trail. If we have any luck at all well catch upupy morning. We . I thought youd like to be in on the kill. His time, thouou. Ill meet violence with violence. Im no fool. No, youre not, are you . You dont propose to leave me like this . I dont know yet. I havent made up my mind. Its your duty to release me, and assist in apprehending an escaped felon. Ive heard theres a deputy u. S. Marshal in this town. Seems to me its my duty to turn this whole business over to him. Hes not in town, otherwise i wouldnt have faced your friend alone. If you aid in the escape of a wanted man, you become his accomplice in law and in fact. Maybe so. Youll be legally and morally responsible for his future crimes. If there are any crimes. There will be, major, believe me. This man is a thief a confirmed criminal hes still a man. Sometimes men change. Once a thief, always a thief. Its an old saying, major, but a true one. Theres another old saying, too. The exception proves the rule. I never found an exception. Nevever found any, or never saw any . Does this look like the work of a reformed man . You know, mr. Cato, theres a little animal around these parts called a jack rabbit. Hes a very peaceful little animal. But if you chase him long enough, and run him hard enough, and get him in corner, hell fight back. I regret your stubbornness, major, and your sentimentality. Distasteful though this may be, im going to unmask your jim collins and show you what kind of a man jack daly really is. Sit down, major. Thisll only take a minute. Surely i ieserve a hearing. All right, mr. R. Ato. Ill listen. Go ahead. Ng, no happy ending but it points a moral, major, a moral that could benefit you. To you, and the nation, the wars end was a moment of triumph. To the police, it was just another problem. The whirlpool of battle had cast up a backwash of scum. In boston, it clung to the waterfront. Returned soldiers, shirkeke, deserters, cheap bravos from a dozen states, all without visible means of support, save for raw whiskey and a marked deck. Some, the dregs of the city; others, the proverbial black sheep weak, vicious, depraved, already hopelesslylyired in the muck of vice and crime and violence. As inspectorincharge, i ordered special patrols to maintain a 24hour watch over the docks and warehouses on which the commerce of the city depended. It was over by the time i arrived. Two of the robbers had gotten what they deserved. Have a look. Yes, sir. The other one. Yes, sir. Whats your name . Your name. Daly. Jack daly. You know who i am . And youre alive. Thats lucky, isnt it . Lucky for you. Yes, sir. I guess so. On the other hand, maybe theyre the luckckones. Take him to jail. Ill see him in the morning. Yes, sir. Inspector cato, what about, uh. . The morgue, of course. The city of boston will provide a suitable burial. Unmarked graves in potters field. But sir, the young one simms. Yes, sir. Im not hungry. Mans gotta eat to live. L call. Oh . Wanted to congratulate you on your new home, so to speak. You got what you wanted, cato. I was convicted. Not what i wanted what society demanded. A murderer, a thief are they really so different . A man kills, probably a climax of years of passion or despair, his neck is snapped on a gallows rope. His motives are greed, viciousness, selfishshss but he lives to steal again. Id hang you as high as haman. My job is to enforce the law, not to frame it. Fortunately, i like my work. So ive noticed. Quick capture, a sure conviction, you made a criminal of young simms. He joined your gangg and was killed for it. It wasnt my gang, it was his. I dont believe you. In six months when you walk out of this cell, my shadow will fall across your footsteps. From that day on, wherever you go in the city youll be known known, jack daly for what you are a thief. Get out guard. Half a year later, jack daly was a free man. Free to steal again. When a plague stalks the city, the conscientious physicician he uses every means in his power to prevent the spread of the contagion, to isolate the sick from the well. As a policeman, i had a similar duty to perform. Ten times in as many months, jack daly sought to camouflage his true character behind a front of socalled honest work. I had a job to do, and i did it. Tell me, lad, this blather is it true . Yes, sir, its true. I committed a robbery. I spspt six months in jail. And i havent been able to hola steady job since. Because of him . Yes, sir. A man dont sail for 40 years without coming to know the good ones from the bad ones when he sees em. Iive got good eyes theyve never fooled me, not once. I warn you, captain, this manan is a thi, a born criminal. He served his time, aint he . You got t cause against him. Not yet because of my vigilance. Then weigh anchor before i toss you over the side. Captain, i dont know how to thank you. But you wont be sorry, i promise you that. Was a comparatively minor one. A talk with her master convinced him of the dangers in hiring a hand with a record such a adalys. It was hardly a surprise when less than two weeks later the humanitarian captain pederson reported that his shop had been broken and enterere his locker rifled missing 1,000 in cash. The rest was routine. The money found in jack dalys pocket amounted to over 900 it was an open and shut case. Your honor, this previously convicted and habitual thief just a minute. Judge, its my money involved here. I oughta have the right to do the complaining. But its contrary to procedure, captain, but you have a point. Proceed. Well, its true i was robbed, judge, that was my money, but i gave it to this lad. Gave it to him so he could starara new life away from this man. The man who has hounded him ever since his release from jail, and will keep on until the poor lad has to be a thief to feed his belly your honor inspector cato proceed, captain. I demand that my friend be released at once and his money returned to him. Thats not all, judge. I also demand that inspector jasper cato be charged with robbery. He took jack dalys money without his consent. And if thats not robbery, ill stand six watches in the crows nest in the dead of winter, naked as a plucked chickck. laughter cato your honor, theres something id like to say. Captain pederson, you have ridiculed me before this court. Now the whole town will be laughing at me too, i know. But the evil that you have accomplished here today is not that. You ridicule justice. Your lie has made a hero out of a thief. But it did not absolve h h of the crime of which you know and he knows and i know that hes guilty, and for which he will yet come to justice. You have no other evidence to present, inspector . Not at this time, your honor. You may step down. Insufficient evidence. Case dismissed. chatter well, jack dalal i suppose you feel lucky. I cant prove your guilt in this court. Only your own confession can do that. But i swear to you before all these people and before the almighty ill get that confession. , if i must, till you confess that crime and pay for it. By morning, daly had disappeared. When a thorough searched revealed that he was not hiding in the boston area, i requested and received a leave of absence from my superiors. Just to hunt for daly, huh . Of course. My search covered all the sea ports on the Atlantic Coast from bangor to charleston. The mississippi, the prairie, and, thanks to you, here to clearwater. Two years, 2,000 miles. And that, major adams, is the story. As i said, not a very pretty one. No, its not very pretty. I dont think so. I do. In the first place, you lied to me. Ill see to that later. But secondly, and more important, two years, 2,000 miles, just to hunt for one man. Why . Hes a thief. No other reason . None. Now, if you will kindly remove these handcuffs, ii try and salvage some of the time that your curiosity has cost. Yeah, youll probably catch up with him sooner or later, anyway. Wheres that key . Hip pocket. But im gonna tell you one thing. You lied to me once youre not gonna get another chance, just remember that. cause im gonna keep my eyes on you. Its yours, mr. Cato. I got to thinkin, major. Maybe if id never met millie, if there werent the baby. But now, after all ive had, to go back to the old way of life, running, hiding, afraid i just couldnt do it. Its bet