The Monster of Moon Ridge - Recap

At the Carlton, Hey Boy has Paladin participate in a ceremony with a Chinese elder. Afterward, Hey Boy reminds Paladin he was looking at a newspaper article about the Monster of Moon Ridge, which bewitched a local girl and left large tracks. Paladin prepares to leave, but not before Hey Boy gives him a dragon's tooth as a charm against evil. Paladin admits that in the U.S., they use reason and science, but thanks him for the gift.

Paladin arrives in Moon Ridge and talks to the sheriff, Lundsy. Everyone has locked themselves in for the night. A local man, Jake Kelly, tries to sneak in and Paladin easily captures him. Lundsy knows the man, and Jake claims he just came by to find out who Paladin was. The sheriff explains that Paladin was hired by Dan Bella, the missing girl's father, and wants Jake to escort Paladin up to Dan's cabin. Jake refuses, insisting he saw the creature, half man and half bear. Lundsy is forced to admit that he and his men saw half-human/half-bear prints, and Jake claims the monster chained him up in a cave. After Jake leaves, Paladin confirms that there's nothing valuable nearby that anyone would want to scare people away from. The Indians consider the land superstitious, and Lundsy dismisses their claim. Paladin points out that Lundsy has hung up mistletoe as a ward against evil, and then gets directions to Dan's cabin.



Paladin arrives at the Bella homestead and finds the girl, Emily, sitting on the porch . She simply stares off into space and says nothing. Dan answers the door and invites him in, but first reminds Emily that she promised to tell him when she came outside. He ushers her back inside after having her curtsy to Paladin. Dan gives her a doll and she clutches it to her chest and leaves. Dan pours wine and explains that 12 years ago, an epidemic killed his wife and left his daughter mentally incapacitated. Dan chose to remain when other parents left, driven out by ignorance and prejudice. He admits that Emily's condition has nothing to do with the Monster of Moon Ridge and its spell. However, Dan insists there is something on Moon Ridge that captured Emily for a week. He found the Monster's prints when he searched, and beneath Emily's window. Paladin suggests that they all three go to Moon Ridge in the morning.



The next day, the trio ride to Moon Ridge and Paladin finds the same strange footprints. They hear an unearthly growling noise, draw their guns, and go to investigate. The horses run off in terror and Emily wanders off. Dan runs off after her daughter and disappears. Paladin is unable to find them and they don't respond when he fires a gunshot as a signal. As Paladin sets up camp for the night, he hears a woman's cackling noise and looks up to see a strange witch-like figure. When he checks his eyes, the figure disappears. The gunslinger gets up and warns that he has no intention of being frightened away, but a furred figure grabs him from behind and chokes him into unconsciousness.

Paladin wakes up chained inside of a cave. A large grizzly bear is chained up nearby. Unable to escape, Paladin makes talks to it until the witch cackles and enters the cavern. She's taken aback when Paladin is unafraid of her, and offers him a brand to light his cigar. She then throws powder at the torch. It goes out briefly and then comes back up, revealing that the bear has transformed into a bear. She throws the powder again and when the torch reignites, the witch has disappeared and the bear is a bear again. A miner's pick is within reach and Paladin uses it to free himself. As he leaves, the "witch" emerges behind him, smiles in satisfaction, and runs into the woods. Secretly doubling back, Paladin sees her leave and follows her.



After following the witch, Paladin finds Dan, who has recovered the horses. When Paladin asks, Dan confirms that nobody has actually been hurt. The gunslinger offers to take him to see Emily. They ride to a cabin where Paladin followed the witch. They see Emily playing with the man the bear transformed into, Clairy. The bear is chained up to a tree and an older woman, the witch, is tending the house. Dan confirms that the woman is Maria, a former teacher, and her son Clairy suffered in the same epidemic. They watch as Clairy steps in the bar's footprints, leaving half-human marks.



The two men approach the cabin. Maria explains that she had to make ends meet when the townspeople drove her out after Clairy was afflicted by the plague. Paladin expresses his admiration for her, and she admits she got the idea of the witch from MacBeth. Maria invites them in for stew, and she explains that she created the "Monster" to keep people from coming to torment her and her son. When she admits that she's out of tricks and will have to move, Dan suggests that he buy the land and as a man with a gun, he can keep anyone away that would mock their children. Maria suggests he come out and say what he has to say, but Dan is reluctant to commit himself. Realizing that his job is done, Paladin prepares to leave. When Maria wonders if he'll tell the sheriff what happened, the gunslinger figures that Lundsy and the others deserve their ignorance. He feeds the bear as he goes and they part on friendly terms.



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