- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: And now *you* understand. Anything goes wrong, anything at all... your fault, my fault, nobody's fault... it won't matter - I'm gonna blow your head off. No matter what else happens, no matter who gets killed I'm gonna blow your head off.
- [to his son]
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: You can call me Father, you can call me Jacob, you can call me Jake. You can call me a dirty son-of-a-bitch, but if you EVER call me Daddy again, I'll finish this fight.
- Jake: Throw a blanket over 'im (a horse).
- James McCandles: I can ride without a blanket.
- Jake: I'm not worrying about your butt! It's his back!
- [Watching a sheepherder about to be hanged]
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: No sir. No sir, I ain't. I ain't butted into somebody else's business since I was seventeen year old, at which time it almost got me killed.
- [the dog grows angrily]
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: What's the matter with you?
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: [Looks down toward the hanging party; man kicks a young boy] Aw, now... what'd he have to go and do that for?
- James McCandles: I am moved by your faith in someone you haven't seen since he was sixteen years old, Daddy!
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Daddy?
- James McCandles: Daddy.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Well, son; since you don't have any respect for your elders, it's time somebody taught you some respect for your betters!
- [grabs James and throws him into a mud puddle]
- James McCandles: Why, if you weren't my father...
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Go ahead. I give you leave.
- [James winds up to throw a punch, but before he swings, Jake hits him and knocks him back into the puddle]
- James McCandles: Do this, do that! I'm gonna do whatever I want!
- Sam Sharpnose: You do what he tells you, every time he tells you and we might come through this alive! Might even save the boy. Otherwise you're gonna get yourself killed. Don't matter to me, but you'll probably get him killed too, and that does.
- Martha McCandles: It is I think going to be a very harsh and unpleasant kind of business and will I think require an extremely harsh and unpleasant kind of man to see to it.
- Gunman at bathhouse in Escondero: [Cocking his pistol] No hard feelings, mister.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: [Shoots him with a shotgun he has hidden in the shower stall] The hell there ain't.
- O'Brian: They tell me you killed two good men in a fair fight tonight. That true?
- James McCandles: No, three; countin' you.
- O'Brian: Prove it.
- Jake: Well, if you can shoot that far, a quarter of a mile straight along the edge of my nose is a mountain buck. Shoot it.
- Michael McCandles: I don't kill to make a point, Father.
- Jake: Michael, there's two reason to kill - survival and meat. We need meat!
- John Fain: Boy mean anything to you?
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Never laid eyes on him. But I'm being paid to bring him back alive or you dead - each and everyone of you. Now I'd rather bring the boy back, that's easier. But when it comes right down to it, don't matter to me .I'll earn my pay one way or the other. Now how about you? Are you the Big Chief or one of the little Indians?
- John Fain: Oh, just a little Indian. Just a messenger boy.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: What about the boy? You gonna hang him too, or just beat him up some more?
- Head of lynching party: Mister, you shouldn't butt into things that aren't your business. You really shouldn't.
- Michael McCandles: You want to chance it, Mother?
- Martha McCandles: Buck?
- Buck Duggan: No matter what happens, I think they'll kill the boy sooner or later. Texas has the best rifleman in the world, luck with 200 yards to hit them...
- Martha McCandles: It's very daring, yes. Yes, I'll chance it. What you think. Jacob?
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Suit yourself, Martha
- Martha McCandles: I was asking your opinion, Jacob
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: No. You made up your mind and you made your decision alone, you live it alone
- Martha McCandles: I was wrong. You haven't changed, have you, Jacob McCandles.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Not one bit.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: I'll give you $500 now and another $500 when you get 'em to market.
- Scottish Shepherd: That's highway robbery!
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Well, maybe you think you're gonna get a better offer for 'em today?
- Scottish Shepherd: I'll take it... with one proviso.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: What's that?
- Scottish Shepherd: I go with the sheep.
- Martha McCandles: They're very dangerous men. They've already killed ten people, many of them you know... Juan and his family...
- Jake: Tina and the little boy?
- Martha McCandles: And Moses Brown.
- Jake: Old Mose... lousy cook.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Martha, It been a long time, It good to see you again.
- Martha McCandles: You've changed, Jacob
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Not you, Your as young and lovely as ever
- Jake: What do you do when cockroaches get in the woodwork, Michael?
- James McCandles: Smoke 'em out?
- Jake: That's right.
- Michael McCandles: Why not wait for them to make the first move?
- Jake: Because waiting is good for them and bad for us. You get impatient, nervy, careless and maybe dead.
- Hotel desk clerk: I thought you were dead.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Dead? The next person who says that I'm gonna shoot, so help me.
- John Fain: We rode down, thought you might be hirin'.
- Bert Ryan: We was.
- John Fain: Was?
- [looks around]
- John Fain: You know, this place sure speaks of a lot of money. You know what the problem with money is? Somebody's always trying to take it from you. Still, that's the only problem.
- [Pulls gun and shoots Bert]
- Jacob McCandles: [punches Michael in the face] That's for scarin' me out of ten years of my life, which I can't spare.
- Jacob McCandles: Now you two young fools be careful tonight, because if you get yourself killed, your mother'd never let me hear the end of it.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: Hank, where are your spurs?
- Hank: You can't use 'em on these new velocopedes.
- Jacob McCandles: [to Buck] 15 years ago I'd a killed ya for riskin' my grandson's life. If I find him dead, I'll still kill you.
- Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: [Gunman has Jake cornered in a shower stall] Would you at least let me get my clothes? I'm gettin' a little cold!
- Gunman at bathhouse in Escondero: You don't shut up and stay where you are, you're gonna be a lot colder.
- John Fain: I just saw something in your eyes I don't like, I saw a foolish thought. You understand me. Anything happens, anything at all, your fault, my fault, nobody's fault... my little brother will blow that kid's head right off. It's as simple as that. No matter who else gets killed, that boy dies. If the shotgun misses him, it don't matter. You already know about the rifle on him. That won't be as messy as a shotgun at three feet but that boy will be just as dead. You understand me? Say it.