Thanks! I haven't seen either of those movies yet. I should have mentioned John Wayne's comments. I think his opinion may have been mentioned in one of the links I used for reference. It seems odd to call him cowardly when he was about the only one in town who stood up to them. He put the man in jail to begin with. At the same time, it wouldn't have been wrong to leave town.

Edit: Thinking about this more, I think it says something about the expectations people have of a hero. They should be brave enough to fight off multiple aggressors without needing the help of the people they are protecting. But in a realistic world it really would be suicide. Is there anything wrong with being afraid? What about his deputy who turns in his badge out of a perceived grudge he thinks Kane has against him? Wouldn't he be the coward? I guess I forgot to mention their fight in the plot summary. I guess he at least tried to save Kane there.