Henry Fonda credited as playing...
Morgan Hickman
- Morg Hickman: A decent man doesn't want to kill, but if you're gonna shoot, you shoot to kill.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: How about hittin' them in the arm?
- Morg Hickman: That hokey-pokey'll get you killed fast. There're a lot of guys bragging about shooting a gun out of somebody's hand. They're lying. They shot to kill. A wounded man can still kill you.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: *You* did it.
- Morg Hickman: Huh?
- Sheriff Ben Owens: With Bogardus. You hit his gun.
- Morg Hickman: That wasn't my fight, that was yours. I could take a chance.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: What if you missed?
- Morg Hickman: Aw, he'd have killed you, or I'd have had to kill him.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: I wouldn't expect no bounty hunter to appreciate this badge.
- Morg Hickman: I wore one a lot longer than you ever will.
- Kip Mayfield: Don't I look like a sheriff?
- Morg Hickman: You look more like a sheriff than the sheriff does.
- Morg Hickman: [to Ben] Learn what to stay out of. If you step into a fight, make sure you're the better man. Paste this in your hat: a gun's only a tool. You can master a gun if you got the knack. Harder to learn men.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: You notice everything, don't you?
- Morg Hickman: I notice you're wearing your guns too low.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: That's where Sheriff Parker wore his.
- Morg Hickman: Parker's dead.
- Morg Hickman: How come they picked you?
- Sheriff Ben Owens: I'm only temporary.
- Morg Hickman: You're more temporary than you think.
- [after Morg gives Kip the horse, Kip is very happy and rides down the road. Nona yells after him]
- Nona Mayfield: Wait, Kip! Wait, Kip, you haven't said thanks.
- [to Morg]
- Nona Mayfield: Ho, ho, he didn't even thank you.
- Morg Hickman: Sure did. Didn't you see his face.
- Nona Mayfield: You're too generous.
- Morg Hickman: Don't fool yourself. Man lives alone - like me - gets kinda selfish. He gives you anything you can be sure he's gettin' his money's worth.
- Bart Bogardus: Do you know who I am?
- Morg Hickman: I didn't ask.
- Bart Bogardus: Bogardus is the name. Bart Bogardus. Jamerson was kin of mine.
- Morg Hickman: Well, every family's got one black sheep... some of 'em got two.
- Morg Hickman: To have confidence, you gotta keep a cool head. Don't take any chances you don't have to; but, wait... and end the fight with one shot.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: Wait?
- Morg Hickman: It's that time you wait - that split second - that means the difference between missin' a man and killin' him.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: I don't wanna kill nobody.
- Morg Hickman: Take your guns off.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: The law says a man ain't to be shot without his chance to surrender.
- Morg Hickman: Or make his fight. As long as you're wearin' that badge, you gotta walk up, tell him to throw 'em up and then watch which way his hands move. If they go up, you got yourself a prisoner. They go down, he's dead... or you are.
- Morg Hickman: How long you had that badge?
- Sheriff Ben Owens: Since Sheriff Parker got killed.
- Morg Hickman: Nobody else wanted it, huh?
- Sheriff Ben Owens: Yeah... Bogardus.
- Morg Hickman: He wanted it for a shooting license, huh?
- Sheriff Ben Owens: That's how come he didn't get it. Town don't want prisoners brought in dead.
- Morg Hickman: Yeah, I know. They only want sheriffs brought in dead.
- Sheriff Ben Owens: Is it true what you told me, that you used to be a sheriff like me?
- Morg Hickman: Not like you.
- Morg Hickman: You got a bone to pick with the freight company, not with me. They put a hunk of money on Jameson's head. He robbed the freight office, killed the agent. Wanted him dead or alive, which is kind of a hint sounds like to me.
- Dr. Jacob Joseph 'Doc' McCord: [as Morg enters from the street] Well, here's a man walks through the nettle patch, picks all the flowers for himself.
- Millie Parker: [walking away from him] I have no use for bounty hunters.
- Morg Hickman: [ironically] Well, that makes it unanimous.
- Dr. Jacob Joseph 'Doc' McCord: Miss Parker's father was sheriff here for 20 years. If you find it a little chilly in here, you can wait outside.
- Morg Hickman: I don't mind the chill - I'm after money.
- [first lines]
- Sheriff Ben Owens: Uh, ju-just getting the feel of these guns.
- Morg Hickman: Where's the sheriff?
- Morg Hickman: What are you gonna do with all that money?
- Kip Mayfield: Give it to mom.
- Morg Hickman: That's what I thought.