- [first lines]
- Katherine Anne Murdock: [narrating] They wanted me to write the truth about the savage west land. Well, I will write the truth. I'll call it "A Wilderness Without Hope". What was it Dante said? "All hope abandon ye who enter here".
- [looking out at the desert]
- Nathan Chance: A woman like you wouldn't stand much chance out there.
- Katherine Anne Murdock: Maybe better than here.
- Nathan Chance: I don't know about that. If some short-legged Comanche didn't lift that pretty rolled up hair of yours, the desert sun would sure cook the salt out of you.
- Katherine Anne Murdock: What a quaint way of putting it.
- Katherine Anne Murdock: A woman's point of view can be a dangerous thing.
- Jim Hardie: Well, the truth shouldn't be too dangerous, ma'am.
- Nathan Chance: You sure got a chin full of argument. What are you doing out here?
- Katherine Anne Murdock: I'm writing a book, if you must know.
- Nathan Chance: You know, I've only read one book in my entire life: Aesop's Fables. There's a story in there about a fox who wanted some grapes. He called 'em sour when he couldn't reach 'em. I reckon some folks are apt to feel that way about life when they can't quite grab hold.
- Katherine Anne Murdock: Western law enforcement is apparently quite incompetent.
- Jim Hardie: Western law is no different than any other law.
- Katherine Anne Murdock: Laws are silent in the midst of arms - Cicero.
- Jim Hardie: And laws aren't valuable only because they're laws, but because there's right in them. A man by the name of Beecher said that.
- Jim Hardie: What makes you so bitter?
- Katherine Anne Murdock: I'm cynical, Mr. Hardie. Can't you tell the difference?
- Jim Hardie: You seem to sit a horse very well for an Easterner.
- Katherine Anne Murdock: My family's been riding to the hounds for years, Mr. Hardie.
- Jim Hardie: Well, I hope we can show you our way of life out here hasn't had the chance to go to the dogs yet.
- Hawk: Things were just gettin' interestin', Chance. What were you plannin' to do, save the lady from sin and corruption?
- Nathan Chance: I've got better things to do.
- Hawk: Well, that was the whole point of our bein' here. So far I haven't heard nothin' but music and the clink of glasses or that sceamin' female.
- Nathan Chance: Ain't you heard the clink of fifty thousand dollars?
- Hawk: No. Maybe my ears aren't so good.
- Nathan Chance: Wouldn't have to be good. They aren't more than twenty feet from you.
- [indicates Major Shankford]
- Nathan Chance: It's in a belt around his waist.
- Hawk: A lot of fat to be carryin' around his middle.
- Nathan Chance: Bad for the heart.
- Nathan Chance: I told you no shootin', Hawk.
- Hawk: We got what we wanted.
- Nathan Chance: You're branchin' out. I don't like it!
- Hawk: Every man for himself, mister.
- Nathan Chance: Even wolves work together!
- Hawk: But the big one, the lobo, he calls the shots.
- Nathan Chance: I was always soft about cuttin' a man down for no reason.
- Hawk: I make my own reasons!
- Nathan Chance: Seems when I went south for a while, I left somebody to cut my throat.
- Hawk: Maybe it needed cuttin', Chance. The wolves - they don't follow no sheep.
- Nathan Chance: Like you said, Hawk. What I do is my own business.
- Hawk: I also said your throat needed cuttin', Chance. They don't call me "Hawk" for nothin'.
- Nathan Chance: Don't miss - you won't get a second chance.
- Katherine Anne Murdock: I-I want to thank you for saving my life.
- Nathan Chance: Don't thank me, New England - chew my head off like before. I like you better with the same kind of crust like I've got.
- [last lines]
- [writing in her journal]
- Katherine Anne Murdock: As the train twisted its iron way through the limestone hills, I knew that I had learned something about myself as I learned about them. The arms of the West are open to those who believe and are unafraid. I think I'm welcome there now.