Wikisource:WikiProject Film/Intertitles from GeoCities/Hell's Hinges

Hell's Hinges 1 The Reverend Robert Hen- ley, recently ordained and as yet unassigned to a par- ish, delivers a sermon at the Slums Mission of St. John's.

2 The victim of a great mis- take. A weak and selfish youth, utterly unfit for the calling that a devout and love-blinded mother has persuaded him to follow.

3     HIS MOTHER. Radiantly happy in the real- ization of her life's dream, and blissfully unconscious of the injustice she has done her son and the church.

4 HIS SISTER, FAITH. Combining with a grave sweetness the strength of character her brother so woefully lacks, and forcing herself to believe he will prove a faithful servant of God.

5  Untouched by the holy word he is conveying but taking an actor's delight in  swaying his audience.

6 AFTER THE SERVICE.

7 "I am beginning to fear that Robert is not made of stern enough material to be equal to the trials and temp- tations of city work."

8 "Then why not get him a parish in the country?"

9  A FEW DAYS LATER. The seeming answer to the problem. An opportunity to take charge of the establish- ment of a church in the West.

10 "Yes, I am sure that is the place for your son, out on the prairies where the peo- ple live simply and close to God."

11 "It is the highest privilege that can come to a ser- vant of God: the oppor- tunity to carry His word into the far places"

12  HIS IMAGINATION. A mission appealing to his sense of romance.

13 "You are right. I will go."

14 "And I will go with you to help you get comfort- ably settled."

15  THREE WEEKS LATER. On the trail, a half hour's ride from their future home.

16   THE REALITY. The town known on the government surveyor's maps as Placer Center but throughout the length and breadth of the sun-baked territory just plain 'HELL'S HINGES' and a good place to "ride wide of".

17 A gun-fighting, man-killing, devil's den of iniquity that scorched even the sun- parched soil on which it stood.

18   "SILK" MILLER. Mingling the oily craftiness of a Mexican with the dead- ly treachery of a rattler, no man's open enemy and no    man's friend.

19 "The gospel shooter, that the petticoat brigade sent for, ought to be here most any minute now."

20 "Hell's Hinges" prepares to    do itself proud.

21       THE "PETTICOAT BRIGADE". The scant handful of re- spectable people in the sin- ridden town --- a drop of water in a barrel of rum.

22  "BLAZE" TRACY. The embodiment of the best and worst of the early West. A man-killer whose philosophy of life is summed up in the creed "SHOOT FIRST AND DO   YOUR DISPUTIN'     AFTERWARD".

23 The two most dangerous men in the territory, widely different in every charac- teristic, but agreed on one point: that neither LAW NOR RELIGION shall ever come to "Hell's Hinges".

24 "Blaze, I reckon you must be gettin' nervous with the parson most here."

25 "Yes, my hand's tremblin' so I'm scared I'll shake him out of his boots."

26 "Remember, Blaze, we're trustin' you to handle this thing short and successfulish."

27 "I reckon it's a sin to shoot a parson, so I'll just naturally scare him to death."

28 A different kind of smile - sweet, honest, and trustful, and seeming to say, "How do you do, friend?"

29 One who is evil, looking for the first time upon that which is good.

30        SUNDAY The first service in the barn which does duty as a church.

31 DOLLY.

32 "There is a religious uproar goin' on in Taylor's barn, and the boys has gone up to help celebrate."

33 The eternal, unconquera- ble, white flame that shone over the blood-drenched Roman arena, and above the racks of the Inquisition.

34 "Come on, boys, who'll be the first to dance with her?"

35 "There'll be no more dancin' in here to-day."

36 "I'm announcin' here and now that there ain't goin' to be no more pickin' on the parson's herd so long as they mind their own business."

37 At the close of the sermon. Unmoved.

38 "I just wish to remind you all of God's great love for us and how He wishes us to come to Him. Is there no one here today who wishes to heed his call?"

39 "I reckon God ain't wantin' me much, ma'am, but when I look at you, I feel I've been ridin' the wrong trail."

40 BUILDING THE CHURCH.

41 "Why don't you come down some day and hold a service for the dance hall girls? They'd sure appreciate it."

42 "I'd admire to walk home with you, ma'am."

43     THAT NIGHT. The "Mission" he forgot to mention to his sister.

44 "God, if You mean what You say here, I'm askin' for her."

45 "Can't I see you alone sometime, so I can learn more about your work?"

46 AFTER SEVERAL MEETINGS, THE WEAKLING

47 "Remember, it's up to you. If you do this thing right, there ain't nothin' you can't have."

48 "This is my birthday, and I want you to help me celebrate it."

49 THE FOLLOWING MORNING. Service time.

50 "We was waitin' for the Parson to sort o' lead us in."

51 "If you're lookin' for the Parson, you'll find him down in Silk's saloon."

52 "The Parson's sure some wildcat when it comes to gettin' drunk."

53 "Is the Parson here?"

54 "He's like all the rest of 'em, Blaze, - a low down hypocrite and liar. There ain't no such thing as real religion."

55 "When women like her say there's a God, there is one, and He sure must be worth trailin' with."

56 "Boys, you all remember 'Arizona Frank,' the best roper in the territory, don't you?"

57 "Once I seen 'Arizona' rope a steer with as pretty a throw as was ever made, but the rope broke and the steer got away."

58 "That wasn't 'Arizona's' fault. It was the thing he was de- pendin' on that was no good."

59 "I'm handlin' him my own way. You take care of her."

60 AND AGAIN CAME THE MORNING.

61 "The doctor is at Prairie Crossin'."

62 Then fell the purple shadows of the Western night, with the peace of the silver stars above, and the fires of hate and evil flaring redly below.

63 Past the point of sane thought -- struggling weak- ly through a delirium of strangely distorted faces and sounds.

64 THE ABANDONED FLOCK.

65 "TO HELL WITH THE CHURCH! Let's burn her down!"

66 "The parson helped build the church. We'll let him touch her off."

67 "Boys, the Lord's dependin' on us to stand by Him. Before they burn down that church they've got to fight."

68 "We don't want no blood- shed, but we don't aim to stand by and watch you burn our church."

69 "Boys, the whole snivellin' litter is here. Let's clean 'em out for good and all."

70 "Bob, for God's sake, listen to me - to me, your sister! Help me! Help me!"

71 "Oh, you've killed him! You've killed him!"

72 The pitifully uneven strug- gle when the face of God seemed turned away.

73 Standing like a martyr of old, with the symbol of its faith proudly uplifted to the crimsoning sky.

74 The broken flight into the desert, while evil and mad- ness join hands in the triumph of victory.

75 "And the Parson's sister!     Where is she?"

76 "They've killed him!"

77 "Don't leave her till I come back."

78 "What did you do with his sister?"

79 "Don't get excited. She'll be with her brother. She ain't the kind that leaves."

80 "Look out! Blaze is comin', killin' mad, and with a gun in each hand."

81 "This is my affair, boys, and I ain't takin' no chances. When the doors open, I shoot!"

82 THE TELLTALE SILENCE.

83 "'Hell's Hinges' done itself proud tonight, and it's goin' to be rewarded."

84 "Hell needs this town, and it's goin' back, and goin' damn quick."

85 "I'm shootin' straight tonight, and I'm plum willin' to kill!"

86 "You boys oughtn't to mind a little heat like this. It's nothin' to what you all got comin' later."

87 "You ought to keep the old town company, but I ain't aimin' to have you do that."

88 Sparks that fall like missiles of hate.

89 "We'll be goin' now."

90 HELL'S CROWN.

91 And then from the mothering sky came the baby dawn, singing as it wreathed the gray horns of the mountains with ribbons of rose and gold.

92 "God, I ain't knowin' You very well, but I'm askin' You a favor. Let her be happy."

93 "Over yonder hills is the future - both yours and mine. It's callin', and I reckon we'd better go."

94 Whatever the future, theirs to share together.

THE END

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