Below is the latest In the continuing series of excellent scenes (previous here and here) from the outstanding television mini-series of Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Lonesome Dove.

In this one, Tommy Lee Jones as Capt. Woodrow F. Call delivers one of the most frightening beatings in the history of cinema to a scout for a U.S. Army troop who attempts to take by force a horse from one of Call’s men. That’s Houston’s Danny Kamin playing the part of the U.S. Army Captain who directs his men to gather up what’s left of the scout after Call is done with him.

The title to this post — which is Call’s brief post-beating explanation to the dumbfounded townsfolk of the reason for his rather drastic action — is my wife’s and my favorite line from the movie.