Patricia Terrill: But if he loved me, why would he let me think he was a coward?
Julie Maragon: If you love him, why would you think it? How many times does a man have to win you?

Patricia Terrill: Well, even when you rode Old Thunder, everybody knew it. Ramon knew it. Julie knew it. But me? Not a word. Why? You know how much it meant to me... with everybody laughing at me. And don't tell me they weren't. But you wouldn't do it for me. Why not? Why not for me?
James McKay: There's some things a man has to prove to himself alone... not to anyone else.
Patricia Terrill: Not even to the woman he loves.
James McKay: Least of all her... if she loves him.

[Buck Hannassey is about to shoot the weaponless James McKay until Buck's father intercedes]
Rufus Hannassey: You don't shoot an unarmed man... not while I'm around.

[Leetch tries to impress Patricia by picking a fight with McKay]
James McKay: If it's a fight you want, you've picked the right time for it, haven't you?
Steve Leech: Yeah, I'm offering you a fight. Or ain't that a nice word back east?
James McKay: You're gambling, Leech. You're gambling that if we fight, you can beat me. And you're gambling that if you beat me, Ms. Terrill will admire you for it.
Steve Leech: Out here, we leave a lady's name out of an argument.

Major Henry Terrill: What do you want Hannassey?
Rufus Hannassey: Just payin' back the call that you and your men did to my boys this mornin'... sorry I wasn't there to give you the proper welcome. I got me something to say that's about thirty years overdue. This is a mighty fine house, Major Terrill, a gentleman's house. Those are mighty fine clothes your wearin'. Well, maybe you got some of these folks fooled, but you ain't got me fooled, not by a damn sight! The Hannassey's know and admire a real gentleman when they seen one, and they recgonize the smell of a high tone skunk when they smell one. Now, I'm not here tonight complaining about twenty-three of your brave men, beating three of my boys until they couldn't stand. Maybe they had it coming anyway - they're full grown and can take their lickin's. I'm also not here complaining that you're trying to buy the Big Muddy, to keep my cows from water. It's interesting to see the daughter of a genuine gentleman like Glenn Maragon under this roof! I'll tell you why I'm here, Major Terrill. The next time you come a busting and blazing into my place scaring the kids and the women folks, when you invade my home, like you was the law or God Almighty... then I say to you, I've seen every kind of critter God ever made, and I ain't never seen a more meaner, lower, pitiful, yellow, stinking hyprocrite than you! Now you can swallow up a lot of folks and make them like it, but you ain't swallowing me, I'm stuck in your crawl, Major Terrill, and you can't spit me out! You hear me now! You've rode into my place and beat my men for the last time and I give ya warning, you step foot in Blanco Canyon once more and this country goin' to run red with blood until there ain't one of us left! Now I don't hold mine so precious, so if you want to start, here, start now!

Major Henry Terrill: If there's anything I admire more than a dedicated friend, it is a dedicated enemy.

Major Henry Terrill: There's no prettier sight in the world than 10,000 head of cattle... unless it's 50,000.

Major Henry Terrill: This is the west, Jim, a man is still expected to defend himself. If he allows people to think he won't, he's in trouble. Bad trouble.