Paladin is heading back to San Francisco via stagecoach and it stops
over in a small town. The coach almost hits an old horse belonging to
the slow-witted Judd Halhoun, who erupts into a fury at the incident.
The nearby locals laugh at Judd and one of them, a troublemaker named Ed
McKay, suggests that Judd put a burr beneath his horse’s saddle to get
it to move. Judd doesn’t know what he means and Ed sends another local,
Mickey, over to show Judd how it’s done.
When the passengers
get out to stretch their legs, Nora Borden is among them. She’s
returning from a visit to her relatives and runs to her husband, rancher
Gil Borden. When Nora drops her suitcase, her petticoats spill out and
Paladin gallantly comes to her aid. Gil takes offense and Nora tries to
calm down her husband. Meanwhile, Judd takes offense at Mickey’s
demonstration and grabs him. Judd works for Gil, who comes over to break
up the fight. Mickey explains that Ed put him up to the prank and Gil
warns Ed that he’s asking for trouble. The rancher orders Judd back to
the ranch, but Ed approaches Judd privately so they can talk.
Paladin is still helping Nora and the two share a laugh, while Gil
irritably looks on. Ed points them out to Judd and claims that they’re
all laughing at him. Judd doesn’t believe it and Ed switches tactics,
suggesting Judd get even with Mickey by putting a burr under his horse’s
saddle. However, he points out Gil’s horse, eager to get revenge on the
man who fired him. Ed keeps taunting Judd until he does it and then
they move off to watch.
Gil and Nora go to Gil’s horse and she
asks to ride it back to the ranch. Her husband finally gives in and
Paladin comes over and offers to help. When Judd realizes whose horse it
is, he starts to intervene but Ed warns him that he’ll incriminate
himself and get in trouble. Judd reluctantly stops, while Paladin
adjusts the saddle and helps Nora mount up. As she rides off, the horse
starts bucking and finally throws her off. As Paladin tries to steady
it, the horse stomps on both of Nora’s legs. Judd is horrified at what
he does but Ed tells him not to say anything to anyone because Judd will
take the blame.
Later, the townspeople gather outside the
doctor’s office waiting to hear his prognosis. Judd is ready to flee but
Ed tells him that he’ll incriminate himself if he does. Ed notices
Paladin checking Gil’s horse and goes over, advising him that it’s
dangerous. Paladin doesn’t believe it and finds the whole thing
suspicious. Gil comes out and tells everyone that both of Nora’s legs
are broken. He know that the horse was gentle and asks anyone if they
saw what happened. Paladin finds the burr beneath the saddle and shows
it to him. Furious, Gil draws his gun and orders the guilty party to
step forward. Paladin offers his card and says that he’d be glad to
help. Gil hires him but Ed steps forward and says that he and Ed saw
Paladin do it just to hurt Nora. Mickey speaks up, saying that Paladin
was adjusting the saddle, and Judd speaks up as well.
Paladin,
realizing that everyone is again him, draws his gun and orders everyone
to leave except for Gil, Ed, Judd, and Mickey. The gunfighter disarms
them and forces them to lie on the ground, and says that he’ll find the
person responsible both to protect his reputation and to save Gil from
himself. Once he rides off on Gil’s horse, Gil, Mickey, and Ed ride
after him while Judd sits nervously.
Seven days pass and Nora
is at home in a wheelchair. Gil rides up with a posse and comes inside,
and Nora tells him that he should leave everything up to the marshal. Ed
and Mickey follow Gil in and tells Gil that they found one of Paladin’s
cigars by the riverbed. Nora insists that Paladin isn’t guilty but Ed
points out that she didn’t object when Paladin flirted with her at the
stagecoach. Furious, Gil knocks him down with a punch and then rides off
with the posse. Mickey nervously suggests to Ed that they should both
stay clear of Gil, but Ed wants to be there to see Gil when he kills
someone by mistake and realizes what he’s done.
Once Ed and
Mickey follow after the others, Paladin strolls in. Nora is initially
nervous but quickly realizes that Paladin didn’t intend her any harm,
then or now. She wonders why he’s there and Paladin points out that Gil
hired him to find the person responsible just before he tried to capture
him. Plus Paladin wants to see justice done regardless. He figures that
Judd knows something and Nora directs him to the bunkhouse. The
foreman, Hank, approaches the house and Paladin quickly slips out the
back. Hank tells Nora that someone returned Gil’s horse and Nora tries
to stall him without success.
Paladin finds Judd and takes him
into the barn, and Hank sees them. He goes to find the posse, while
Paladin tells Judd to tell the truth. Playing on Judd’s guilt, Paladin
keeps verbally hammering the man until he finally says that Ed claimed
the horse belonged to Mickey.
Gil and the posse barge in and
Paladin tells Judd to tell them the truth. Judd looks nervously at Ed
and then repeats his original accusation, and Gil prepares to shoot the
gunfighter. Paladin tells him to bring Nora out so she can see her
husband kill an innocent man. Ed goads Gil into shooting but Gil gives
Ed his rifle and swings at Paladin. As the two men fight, Judd gets
increasingly upset and finally blurts out that he put the burr under the
saddle. Ed shoots him with the rifle and prepares to kill Paladin. The
gunfighter rolls and grabs a discarded revolver, and then guns Ed down.
Gil kneels by Judd’s body and wonders what he can do to make it up, and a
disgusted Paladin tells him that there’s no easy to make amends.
Paladin and Gil go in to tell Nora what happened. The gunfighter offers
to put them in contact with a San Francisco surgeon who should be able
to repair her legs. When Gil tries to pay him, Paladin tells him to pay
for the surgeon instead... and assures them that he’ll win it off the
man in poker.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 31, 2017