- Terrible Fred McShane: Bartender, this here is my gun and this here's my green... now which of 'em do you want to see me start usin' first?
- Bret Maverick: Tom, there's only two men west of New Orleans who make my palms sweat and Philip Mondragon is both of 'em!
- Tom Guthrie: Newspapers! You can't wait to turn some farm boy into a dangerous outlaw, can you? Come here. You want to meet Billy the Kid, the dangerous outlaw?
- [Tom takes M.L. to Billy's bedroom where they find him asleep]
- Tom Guthrie: What do you figure him to be - 19 , maybe 20? You think a good story is worth the price of his life?
- US Marshal Philip Mondragon: Bret Maverick.
- Bret Maverick: Marshal Mondragon.
- US Marshal Philip Mondragon: How long has it been, would you say?
- Bret Maverick: I don't know. I haven't exactly been counting the days.
- US Marshal Philip Mondragon: Well, that's a pity. I have.
- Bret Maverick: Now that's funny... I always thought your specialty was counting the notches on your gun.
- Mary Lou Springer, Newspaper Editor: Well, if Maverick's pappy were around, he'd probably say the best place to hide a pea is under the table.
- [Mondragon's deputies bust into Maverick's house]
- Doc Vetter: What's going on, Maverick?
- Bret Maverick: You got me, but from their cheap clothes and bad manners, I'd say they were some sort of law.
- [Terrible Fred is trying to ambush Maverick]
- Terrible Fred McShane: Maverick! Bret Maverick!
- [Maverick sneaks up behind Fred and cocks his pistol]
- Bret Maverick: No need to shout - you have my full attention.
- [Mary Lou believes Bret is hiding William "Billy the Kid" Bonney in his ranch house]
- Bret Maverick: Mary Lou! Mary Lou! All right, wait a minute. Say I'm willing to give you an exclusive interview - Bret Maverick, cradle to grave so to speak... ought to be good for at least a book.
- Mary Lou Springer, Newspaper Editor: I'll take ten minutes of Bonney to a year of Bret Maverick! Does that put it in perspective for you?
- Bret Maverick: Well, lesser men would hurt by that, but since there's no reasoning with you...
- Bret Maverick: We gotta make our move now. I figure a variation on the old shell game is about the best move we've got.
- Tom Guthrie: What's that?
- Bret Maverick: Well, with Billy as a prize, he won't want to take a chance on splittin' his men. I figure we gotta make a choice on what shell the pea is under and hope he comes up empty.