The Virginian quotes

[After going to the water to soak her swollen ankle, a woman falls in. Trampas comes to her rescue, but thinks at first she is just having fun.]

Trampas

She's done it again. [Walks over to the water hole] I thought you were just going to soak your ankle.

Trampas

[chuckles at first, then grows quiet] Oh. [jumps in]

"This is Wyoming in 1897. It's a land of great, open spaces. A land that gives a man plenty of elbow room. Somebody once said that in Wyoming, you could look farther, and see less than any place in the world. Whoever said that couldn't have seen Wyoming as I have. To look at the mountains, and the valleys and the plains, you'd think nothing ever changes out here. Maybe that's true about the land. But it's not true about the people. They change. At least most of them. They've settled down. Twenty years ago, it was a different breed of men that came west. They were looking for adventure and excitement. There was plenty of adventure to go around, and lots of excitement! At first it was the Indians who provided the adventure. And for those who lived to tell about it, there was no question about it's being exciting. It was a time when life was cheap, and man lived for today. The odds were against his being around tomorrow, and he knew it. What's more, he liked it that way. This breed of man loved his life. It was everything he wanted. It was adventure, and excitement, and fun. When he worked hard, he fought hard, and he sure played hard. Then suddenly, one day his world was gone. The prairies and the mountains were the same. The cattle and the horses were the same. The west had grown up. It had changed. But this breed of man was still there. Still looking for the fun and headlong adventure.

"Before she testifies there's something I'd like to say. I don't know what you may have heard here today, what you have already in your minds, but I can tell you this. I was there when Dr. O'Neill made the decision to operate on Mrs. Anderson. She knew the risk she was taking, and she took it. The easy way would have been to let her patient die in agony. And now I want to ask you a question. Would this hearing ever had been held if Pat O'Neill weren't a woman? Doc Spalding has lost patients, every doctor has. So, just lets all of us be sure exactly what it is that's on trial here today. Is it the facts, or our prejudices?"

"He wants to be a hero in a uniform, so he had to go join up! He's a fool! He's about as much cut out to be a soldier as -- If you want to be a soldier you have to learn to take orders. Can you imagine Trampas taking orders from anybody? I mean anybody!"

"I didn't need Trampas to point out the sorry shape we were in, but being Trampas he pointed it out anyhow..."

"Anyone will tell you Trampas is as trustworthy as they come. Take my word for it.

"And Trampas, this is a business trip."

"She’s just like any other woman - she thinks with her heart instead of her head."

"The dead have to be buried...There’s some things you make time for..."

"She's saving herself for some tall, good looking cowboy with hair the color of autumn wheat."

"My Pa always said, 'Live fast, die laughing,' that's the way to do it."

"Suckers and mules, thats what work's for, and mule's got enough sense to turn his tail on it."

"The thing is, if a woman can't win an argument any other way she can always cry. Then she can't lose."