Paladin is riding back from a job in Ft. Worth when two men, Emanual
and Jackson, take him prisoner. They escort him to a camp where a
rancher, Louis Strome, is waiting. When they take Paladin to Strome, he
says, "She's dead" to the gunslinger. He tells Strome that he has no
idea what he's talking about, and Strome asks who he is and what his
business is. Paladin gives him his card and Strome tells him that he'll
be staying there for a while.
Strome's men take Paladin past a
noose hanging from a tree to another man, also wearing a black shirt.
He's playing a guitar and introduces himself as Andy Fisher. He explains
that Strome is one of the richest ranchers in Texas and Paladin
recognizes the man by reputation. Andy tells Paladin that Strome's men
captured him as well and brought him there.
A short time later,
Strome's men bring in another traveler, Clyde Broderick, who is wearing
a black jacket. Clyde explains that he's a gun salesman but doesn't use
them himself. Strome says "She's dead" to Clyde the same as he did to
Paladin. Clyde doesn't know what he means and Paladin explains that
Strome is trying to trick someone into making confession. The gunslinger
speculates that Strome is looking for a man who he hasn't seen, but
knows wears a black shirt or jacket and rides a black horse like the
three of them. Strome must be looking for someone who killed a woman.
Strome explains that the man who killed his wife wore black and rode a
black horse. His three prisoners insist that none of them killed his
wife but the rancher says that one of them is lying.
Paladin
suggests that Strome tell them what happened so that the two innocent
men can figure out who the guilty one is. Strome tells them that his
wife, Maria Vasquez, was born into a rich Mexican family and married him
two years ago. All three prisoners have heard of the Vasquez family and
Clyde sold two expensive rifles to them. Strome suspected that Maria
was seeing another man and came home early one night. He came in and
caught a glimpse of the man before Maria put out the light. When Strome
tried to shoot the man, Maria moved in front of the bullet and died.
Strome blames the mystery man for Maria's death and plans to see him
hang. He talked to the people of the nearby town that the killer had to
pass through and they told him of three men that matched the
description.
Clyde admits that he stayed in the town hotel and
was there all night, but Strome confirms that he doesn't have an alibi
for the entire time, and it was only a two hour ride to his estate.
Paladin and Andy tell Strome that they slept on their saddles the
previous night and that they also don't have an alibi. The two men try
to leave but Strome's men stops them, and the rancher tells them that he
will leave Emanual and Jackson to watch the camp and keep them there
throughout the night. With that, he and his men retreat into the nearby
rocks.
As the sun sets, Strome's men string up two more nooses.
Paladin shows his fellow prisoners his hidden derringer and suggests
that they jump the two men. When the fire goes low, Emanual comes out to
feed it more wood. Paladin takes him prisoner and orders him to call
Jackson down. As they take the men's rifles, Strome fires from the
shadows, calling that he decided to watch with his men. The three
prisoners reluctantly surrender and Strome comes out and tells them to
get to work figuring out which of them is guilty.
Paladin grabs
Emanual and uses him as a shield, and Strome holds off firing.
Satisfied, Paladin shoves Emanual away and points out that Strome is
clearly fast enough to avoid making a snapshot. He also notes that Maria
couldn't have moved faster than a bullet. Paladin also figures that if
the man had feelings for Maria, he would have ridden back. The
gunslinger asks Strome how much time passed before Maria died, and
Strome admits that she died a half hour after the mystery man left. As
Andy and Clyde realize that Strome killed Maria in cold blood, Strome
still insists that one of them killed Maria and gives them until sunset
to figure out which of them is guilty.
The next morning,
Paladin suggests that one of them confess and that they draw stores to
see who will do so. Once one of them confesses, Paladin figures that
Strome will let the other two go and they can ride back and rescue the
other. They draw lots and Clyde loses, and Paladin gives his word that
as long as he lives, Clyde will live.
Strome and his men come
down and Clyde starts to confess. However, he has a change of heart and
refuses to confess to a crime he didn't commit. Paladin sarcastically
says that he should stick to the truth and asks Strome what Maria did to
him and what she said she was doing before he killed her. Strome tell
them that Maria claimed that the other man was just there to talk to
her, but he figures there was only one reason why she would have
secretly met with a man other than her husband.
Angry, Andy
starts playing a song about a lonely woman and a jealous man. Strome
flies into a rage and Andy disgustedly says that Maria could have wanted
a younger man that understood her. Paladin joins in, suggesting that
she might have wanted a man like him who could tell her stories of the
world that she couldn't see because Strome kept her locked up in his
home. Clyde suggests that Maria would have wanted a lonely man, a man
who could draw strength from a woman who loved him. Strome screams at
them to finish it and storms off. Andy thanks Paladin and Clyde backing
him up when he lost his head.
Paladin serves himself breakfast
and watches nonchalantly as Strome comes back and tells them to hurry.
The gunslinger tells him that he agrees that the man who killed Maria
should hang, and points out that they all knew who killed her. Strome
stares sullenly at him and Paladin finally admits that he was the man.
As Strome's men take down the other two nooses, Paladin tells Andy and
Clyde that he's not the man and asks them not to wait too long to rescue
him.
As Strome's men put Paladin on a horse and string the
noose around his neck, Clyde and Andy start to go. However, Strome
orders them to stay and watch the hanging. Realizing that they will have
to save Paladin immediately, Andy asks if they want a song to send him
off. He picks up his guitar and clubs Emanual. Clyde grabs Emanual's
rifle and shoots one of the remaining four men. Strome and the three
survivors duck into the rocks and return fire. Paladin, Clyde, and Andy
take cover nearby and Paladin tells Clyde to cover him. As Paladin
sneaks up on their opponents, Strome sneaks up on Clyde but Andy gets
the drop on him.
Paladin captures the three men and takes them
back to the camp, where they're greeted by a grisly site. Andy has
strung Strome up for killing Maria. As Strome's men cut their employer's
corpse down, Clyde and Paladin shake hands. Paladin suggests that the
salesman continue the way he was going, and Clyde agrees, deciding to
keep the rifle with him. Once he rides off, Andy tells Paladin that he
loved Maria but she only liked him. However, he knew that Strome only
wanted her as a trophy, not a wife. Andy apologizes to Paladin for
stringing things out, but assures him that he was only looking for an
opportunity to kill Strome for murdering Maria. As Andy leaves, Paladin
tells Jackson and the other two men that they can do what they want, but
if they tell the law then they'll have to face judgment for what they
did. With that, Paladin rides off to San Francisco.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 26, 2017