"It is Miguel!" "There is no help out here." " You ought to pour me a little down here." " Your credit has been drunken up." "You, at the bar..." "Hear me out there?" "Turn around." "I'm talking to you." "I don't ask it again." "Hey, mister!" "Wait up there." " You're sure a pretty good killer." " Not to tell that I'd wish to be one." " Where you're from?" " No place in particular." " Where are you headed?" " Same place." "I did really appreciate that drink." "I'd like to make it up with you, maybe discuss a business proposition with you." "In case you didn't notice, I tend to attract trouble." "Well, I noticed that you got out of it pretty damn good." " These fellows, they..." " Regulators." "I guess they must've made you a pretty important man, huh." "Half a million dollars." "That's what I want to discuss with you." "If you grab one of the chickens I'll cook you one up." "It ain't much, but at least keeps the rain out." "Make yourself at home." " You're as hell jumpy, mister." " No." "Suspicious." " Why them regulators were trying to kill you?" " Religious differences." "Religious differences?" "I never know a regulator had a religion." "They ain't nothing but a rich man hard law." " I killed someone." " Why don't that surprise me." "Who?" "I just figure if we are partners now, I should know who's trying to kill us." "Maybe I should strangle one of these chickens for the trail and go on." "I'm just wondering how a man gets such bad enemies and all." "I never had any good ones." "The whole thing started right at the end of the war." "A Federate captain by the name of Cluster and four of his men, they disappeared with what was left of the Confederate war chest." "With a half of a million dollars in gold." "As the story goes they disappeared into Mexico." "About three months later, the captain was all sick of fevers chills up in Huntsville, Alabama." "They hang him for a pig-headed Confederate troops, maybe the one who was still fighting a war." "The one Jefferson had long given up on." "And it shows up about the gold?" " But a map." " You have this map?" "I got a part of it." "See Captain Cluster, he thought the South was gonna rise again and a half million dollars would help, but the gold was a temptation and he put the map in four pieces." "He gave it to four of his men." "Told each of them was to meet him in Aberdeen three years later." "But he was dead inside of two days." "So why didn't the four of you just put the pieces together there and then?" "We couldn't because we didn't know who each other was." "Two days after the Lee's surrender I took a bullet." "I had to cut off my leg." "So what happened in Aberdeen?" "All went bad." "Dye, Colby and me." "That's the three of us that turned up." "We never knew who the fourth man was..." "It seems he did some whiskey talking one on night to a bunch of red-legs and" "Colonel Skinner takes his part and gets the whole story." "So, Skinner he shows up and has it made he's one of us." "But Colby recognized him, and all hell broke loose." "And Colby and he died?" "The last time I heard Colby is doing some time down in Del Rio, Mexican territory." " And still no one knows where this money is?" " No." "But the Red Legs has got pieces of that map and I ain't gonna stop to find all." "Red Legs and Regulators... the only thing that came out of war is a new name for killers." "Amen." " So why do you tell me all this?" " Because I need a partner." "If I hadn't lost my leg and I could still get around, I wouldn't need you." "I think maybe you're confused about who I am." "You bought me a drink." "That's a hell of a lot kindness I've been shown a long time..." "Besides, you can shoot." "And I know if you'd decide you're gonna kill me for gold, you ain't gonna make no bad job out of it and leave me dying slow." "I can't go alone and I can't stand the idea the Yankees vigilantes finding that gold." "Why now?" "It's been sitting there for a while." "Why the rush?" "Because I've seen one of them." " Where?" " Right here." "About a week ago." " I've seen him but he didn't see me." " So that's hope passing a fact." "Well I'm still here talking, ain't I?" "Time is running out." "They're getting close." "Let's see that map." "Four different holsters, four different men." "You put them together and you got the map." "And when you got the map you got the gold." " Regulators." " We figured on burying them..." "I don't know what happened first hand." "This gentleman..." " Dragging a pine coffin along with him?" " Yeah." "Where is he now?" "A wagon and a horse." "Maybe 10, 12 hours ago." "They're not alone." "Maybe 15 riders trailing them." "Horseshoe markings say they're Union ponies." "Damn!" "That hurts!" "What the hell did you do that for?" "We leave in five minutes." "I won't wait." "Where the hell do you think you're going?" "You don't even know where's Colby's jail." "In five minutes I won't care." "Listen, I'm sorry about that picture." "I'd be proud." "Is that your family?" "A real nice family you got there." " You don't like to talk much, do you?" " No." " Is it me?" " It might get to be." "Until how long?" "Do you ever talk to yourself?" "Yeah." "And I've the good sense to know when to shut up." "What do you talk about?" "No one else finds me this fascinating." "Why do you?" "Well, it ain't that you're so fascinating, it's just that you're the alone here." "So, what do you talk about?" "A prayer: "Dear God, save me from one-legged drunts."" "Well, I reckon you should have prayed harder, huh?" "Do you got any idea how us to get in this place?" " You could start shooting each other." " We've come to visit someone." " Who?" " A man with the name Jacob Colby." " You can?" " We can be if it'll help." " Visiting or moving in, Dooley?" " A social chat." "You got a smoke?" " Weighed you." "You're better than I expected..." " Just this once." "Meaning?" "Well, this is my last meal." "And you two are the first and last visitors." "Being that this is my last night at earth." "Who the hell are you?" "The man that gives you a last smoke." "We kind of thinked how to break you out." "The only way out is way up the wall." "You got a light for this?" "So where's the holster?" " That piece of information dies with me" " Why?" "It ain't doing you no damn good." "It never has." "But I don't see, facing a firing squad will give me the comfort that someone else, even you Dooley, is gonna enjoy that gold." "Well, if I did promise not to enjoy?" "You might succumb to the temptation." "You're a nasty no-good son of a bitch." "Do you know that, Colby?" "Watch me tomorrow, they're gonna march out in that cope yard, and tie me to that post, and shoot me." "If the village of Pedraz is to survive, we must stand together." "We must put faith in ourselves and into God." "To not do this, is giving in to these renegades." "They wear uniforms, it make them Federales." "It make them beyond the law." "But not beyond justice." "You better forget justice." "They do what they want." "I've come from the village of Quello." "Here too they have taken all we had." "They barely left us our sweat!" "More is what they want, always more." "You see?" "To give in accomplishes nothing." "The Reds, the Reds!" "Stop it!" "There's a lack of Christian spirit in your pasture, Padre." "We are your protectors, yet you predict against us." " You sent riders for help against us." " You bring us dead men." " Some lessons are hard brought on, Padre." " You take what little we have." "You bleed every village in this valley." "And when there's no more blood, you'll burn them?" "You're an insightful man, Padre." "A donation for your church, Padre." "There have been for years stories of gold coins that grow in the valley's dust." "Gold buried by the desperate forces of the Civil War of the United States." "I, of course, do not believe such stories." "But I believe in that." " That's all you believe in?" " Have you found this treasure, Padre?" " And live like this?" " You're a cautious man." " Do you know where it is?" " No." "I'll have no more to say to you." "You'll have much to say if I find you have lied." " What happened to turn the other cheek, Padre?" " I'm too tired to turn bloody cheeks!" "Forgive me, Father, for what I plan to do." "Help us." "Send someone, someone with the courage I lack." "Send someone to kill this man." "Ready." "Aim." "Fire!" "Do we ride on Dooley, Colonel Skinner?" "We'd have them in no more than 10 minutes." " And then we wouldn't have all four holsters?" " No, sir, but..." "They are on a down-way road to hell." "We're gonna be there to greet them." " Fetch time." " What?" " What's the gun for?" " I don't know..." "It cut out small talk." "Take the gun away." " We didn't come to hurt you, Jacob." " Not yet anyway." "After all I've been through, do you think a gun is gonna scare me?" "Well, it don't and you don't." "And you can't make me talk." "I can make you wish you had." "Damn, Colby." "Before the jail break you had yourself lonesome." " I didn't ask you to break me out." " Which is why it was a nice gesture of ours." "I suggest you tell us." "Patience ain't exactly his strong suit." "What is?" "Shooting people is making me impatient." "This whole damn thing is crazy." "The best chance we got to find that gold is we all stick together." "There's plenty around." "What marches ya?" "A bullet in the back?" " Guess prison makes a man cynical, huh?" " I guess times made you too dumb to be cynical?" " Gentlemen, we're getting to the impatient part." " Why?" "I'm just giving it up." " You better tell us." " I sure wish I knew where it was." "But I lost it in a poker game." "I lost the holster, I lost the gun, the money..." "Where did you lose it at?" "In Sterling." "A man named..." " ...some gambler." " Did you know what he has?" " I was drunk." "I did do some talking..." " Damn, Colby." "Did you tell him or not?" "What's it matter?" "He only had one piece." "Is there only a chance you believe me?" "I told you all I had to tell!" "What the hell are you doing this for?" "Or perhaps I sleep with my open eyes..." "Don't look at me." "It's your own damn fault." "That's him, he." "Whisky." "You got something of that cold coming on?" "I can't drink with my hands tied." "You know, what happening is wrong?" "I mean we folks have the same enemies, believe in the same things." "Now I am the one who's tied up, and he's the one who's gonna walk and get our map." "I didn't know realize it was our map." "And what's all these care taking for?" "It's too late for the South to rise again, Dooley, the same man knows that." "And I figure you're still clinging to a taste sanity..." "That cowboy is gonna take off with our gold and we'll end up dead." "I know this Akers." "Well, I've seen this cowboy shooting." "The man has an incredible talent." "And Akers owns the town." "Sometimes it just come down to numbers." "Man for man, we shot them northern boys." "They just kept coming." "Nobody is made of lead." "At least we can do is even up the odds for the cowboy." "What's happened to you, Dooley?" "There was a time that you whacked up the floor with this Akers." "Yeah, the times have changed." "It has nothing to do with time." "You just gave up on being a hero." " You look like you could use some company." " Not with people in any case." " You're not real friendly." " I'm getting by..." "That holster, where did you get it?" "My boss has one just like that, he might be buying yours." "I'm not interested in selling." "Really?" "Well, my advice is you speak with him first." " That's no advice, sounds like a warning." " Either way, he's waiting upstairs." "Don't worry about your drink." "I'll make sure it don't go to waste." "Stop here." "Knock." " You got to be mad." " Drop the gun." "Now, the holster." "Well, I can't say I can put a conclusion to it." "It's south to the river." "It looks like Mexico." "We better find Dye." "If you'd get me tied up, cowboy." "It ain't fair." "He gave help." "All right." "See, you remember: you ain't fast enough and you ain't smart enough." " For what?" " For anything." "He has been here." "One man, with four eyes..." "Do you know him?" " No, I never met him." " Better you don't." "He's damn fast with the gun." " Someone is always faster." " He's the one." " For what?" " The one who's always faster." "He'll have his chance to prove it." "Where is he headed from here?" "I wasn't inclined to ask." "What has he done?" " He brought down a son." " Aren't the others too looking for him?" " Others?" " Red Legs." "They came an hour later." "They rode in, took a look, and rode out." " So he have been seeing on the tail." " Red Legs will always." "The man has a talent for making enemies." "He took something of mine." "And I'd like it back." "A pair of matching leather holsters." "A $1,000 reward for the return." " Sentimental value." " It must've been your mam's." " Well?" " I'm not interested." "Whose son he killed that it's so damn important?" "Mine." "If we force these horses, they're gonna drop." "If we don't get ground on, we're gonna lose him to the Red Legs." " Well, dead is dead." " I don't want him dead." "I'm looking for a gentleman named Troy Dye." "They got a nice way of life, these people got around here." "Fighting this land has no future." " What do you know about the future?" " Nothing." "But I know enough about not having one." "You found out anything?" "They will trade a hot meal for a little help." "About Dye, you mean?" "Yep!" "Damn." "This border is on all time inconsiderate." "Now, we got to get our sentimental stuff out of the way..." "Have you ever seen a body close up after it's been..." "No." "Me neither." "But no matter how I think about it, it don't come out pretty." "That's why you're gonna dig." "I got him!" "Dooley, here he lies!" "I'd say he looks any worse than being dead." "There it is." "Right behind on his hip." "Here." "What kind of idiot thing you're doing now, Colby?" "I'm just pealing out, Dooley." "Skinner has a piece of this map." "And I don't see it fitting no matter how good that cowboys is with a gun." "So maybe I sell them to pieces or maybe I sell them back to Akers." "Either way we ain't getting any closer." "And even if we did I can see at the cowboy no peace for me." " Ain't that right, cowboy?" " Just now." "You're a damn fool, you know that, Colby." "I reckon we ought to bury him." "You... find the head and I'll bury the rest of it." "Like you said bury his body too." " Colby, he was once a friend." " And once he wasn't." "It was wrong that man ended like this." "It's not I never killed anybody before." "You want an absolution?" "Try the church, not me." "You know something?" "You're a hell of a shot killing one." "But in the human department you need some basic requirements." "How come you didn't draw out on Colby when you had the chance?" "You seemed to have things pretty well on hand." "Fuck, I'm in for a drink." "And maybe a little something to eat." "I promise, I'll talk to you." "Do you think that once you've shooten me, is gonna improve your situation?" " Are you looking for me, Skinner?" " No." "I found you, one-legged son of a bitch." " My arm is going numb." " If you drop me, you lose the whole thing." " Before I'll be pulling this trigger." " Yeah, well not if I pull first." "Somebody better shoot somebody." "Here is a rope." "I tie this up to that coach." "Now you act reasonable and I'll pull your butt up." "No, you'll shoot me and take the map." " Your choice: gun, holster, rope." " I'd choose before my arm's letting go, Skinner." "What the hell, Dooley?" "That rope wasn't tied off?" "If I couldn't grab hold I'd have down with him!" "You seemed to have things well on hand." " Pedraza." "That mean anything to you?" " No." " I reckon there's a fountain and a tree?" " Yeah." "But I don't know what that is." "Could be a well." "The Captain was not exactly a Leonardo da Vinci." "And no Magellan either." "That is definitely a ridge." "Whatever it is between these two we ride here." "I'm gonna sleep, I'm bushed." "Do you think so?" "Why?" "We ain't got any Red Legs on the tail." "I heard him scream, but I didn't see him die." " That church shouldn't be here." " Maybe it's the wrong town." "I think it's the only town." "I don't know about you, but I'm gonna put me and these horses asleep." "Hey!" "Get out of here!" "Get out!" "What are we to do with such trouble?" "You could feed them." " Why are you here?" " I'm not sure where here is." " Pedraza." " Then I'm a tourist." "The only tourists who come here do surely have a price on their heads." "It sounds like people you'd avoid." "For the children." "You don't mind me, do you." " You should have let me kill him." " I will, I will..." "After we learn why he is here." "I have come to welcome you." " Welcome?" " And to thank you." "For helping those children." "In truth I'm surprised the captain did not..." "Shoot me?" " There can be only one reason." " That being...?" " The reason for you being here." " What reason is that?" "This village has been unlucky." "There's nothing that rides in that isn't bad news." "There's no one ever ride out with some guidance or good." "Look around you." "They're like dog waiting to be kicked." "People long ago forgot what this town meant." "If you could explain why you think I am here?" "You will change all this." "Perhaps you do not yet notice yourself." "Sometimes it just happens." "There you can find a bed, a bath, and food that will not kill you." "When you wish to talk to me, I'll be waiting." "He is the man we have been waiting for." "Pray for him." " Are you sure?" " Just see how he helped the children." "He is the man." "Do you mind?" "Sorry." "One pesos for a simple bath, two pesos for a bath with." " With what?" " With whatever it is you like to get besides cleaning." "It's been too long between baths for me to remember." "Well, you sure as hell look like you could use one." "I recommend you take the two pesos bath." "She's mighty friendly." " We need to talk." " Now?" "See you later." "You just put a damper on a hell of a romantic moment." "Well, here's another damper." "The Padre knows why we're here." "That shouldn't be a surprise." "We'd be at the fiesta with all the people who seem to know." "Did you find out what that church got to do on our "x"?" "I didn't ask." "The Padre was too damn happy to see me." "It makes me nervous." "No one has ever been happy to see me." "It's got to be here?" "I don't know." "Maybe you took some pretty big steps." "You see anything that looks more promising?" "It should be right here." "Here." "That piece of cloth that's stuck under there, this altar had to be moved." "I'm sorry to disturb your prayer." "I just came to lock up." "Don't bother, Padre." "These aren't prayers any ways." "I don't understand the gold has kept this long and did go nowhere." "Dooley, you've waited four years for this." "I don't know why a tale is so important?" "Is a matter of arithmetic." "It's been five years since I had any." "Are you ready?" "There it is." "You see?" "There was a reason not to kill him." "And what now?" "No more reason." "I smell me some gold." " How are you doing?" " Just edgy." "You?" "I'm fine." "They were here." "The place they just left is about as close we seem to get." "You're lost?" " I'm just looking for someone." " Perhaps... were they Americans?" " You have seen them?" " What do you and your friend want?" "That's none of your business." "There are five of us against two of you." "That can make it our business." "Actually, five to one." "Keep this a fair fight." "How about your men?" "You have a short fuse, my friend." "No." "No fuse and we're not friends." "Now let him go." "You're gonna tell me what you're doing here, or I'll kill him." "If you kill him, you die too." "You're not immune." "Just tell me about these other Americans and you can walk away from this." "I don't have to tell you nothing." "If you listen very carefully you understand why you do." "I don't know, Padre." "You must be a big believer in miracles." "I'm sorry." "I didn't tell you this." "There is enough bloodshed." "And it's all the money." "When you did found the money why did you let it there?" "Because it didn't belong to us." "But at as times of dying out..." "Little by little we give some out." "A coin here and there to help." "But then you found out people have big mouths." " Yeah?" " Nothing." "I just..." "There's a pretty good chance we're both gonna get killed." "And I hate to die not known why you ended up the way you ended up." "Well, then when we're dead and we've ended up in the same place I'll tell you." "Hey, honey, where are you?" "Let that die after you." "It sound dangerous." "You better attend to her." "My wife and child." "The photograph..." "You see, I had a small farm, staying between two big pieces of land, owned by a fellow named Reager." "when he couldn't buy it his son, who wanted to impress him, went with some Regulars and three coffins." "He said: you're off the land and get the coffins," "And the shooting started." "My wife and daughter were dead." "And then I killed Reager's son." "That's how this whole thing started." "There is one thing I don't understand." "You ain't exactly the kind of man who walks across the road to avoid a fight." "So why I didn't end him?" " He didn't kill." " He sure as hell tried to kill you." "Yes, I can remember." "You better go before she finds herself another "Magnifico"." " There is only way in this fort." " I reckon that's our one way out." "There're five things from going in getting us gold." "Well, it ain't exactly gold now, is it?" "We've been through some hard times to get here." "Something have come." "They're looking for you." "They're hurting Father Ramon." "Where is the cowboy?" "This man is not worth protecting, Padre." "I don't know the man you are looking for." "The gold has already been taken..." " Gold?" " The Federales took it." "You don't scare me." "You're a very brave padre." "Because sometimes I even scare myself." "You're backing the wrong man." "Give me the cowboy and I'll get you back your gold." "You care for them, Padre." "You will tell them..." "Tell them you made a mistake." "The one has let you very far straight." "The Cowboy and his men!" "Prepare yourselves!" "Robert E. Lee it is!" "Come on, Dooley, get up!" "Let's go!" "Are you ready?" "I got to end this." "Well, if the balance gets achieved, it ought to be achieved here." "Whatever I could take is already taken." "There, it's making place." "Just out of curiosity, Padre..." "How much gold did you lose?" "I think of it as much we have." " We didn't come here planning on getting that money from you." " I know." "It was God's intention." "And He only made me utilize it." " Your underestimate you, Padre?" " Oh no, you underestimate yourself." "There." "Now, everyone has a bit of what they want." "It has been returned to safety." "You never did give a damn about the gold." "You were just killing time, huh?" "I know after all we've been through, it may seem dumb, but I wanna stay here." "The longer I live, the more after it I consider what I think is dumb." "At least all that gold is gonna do some good now." "Once you'd stick around... there ain't nobody chasing you." "Sooner or later, I'll bring visit from trouble." "But you stay on." "I want you to know you always got a place to come back to." "Thanks, Dooley." "I forgot my gold." "I'm going now." "I think I leave you here." "It's a better and safer place than where I go." "I'll think of you every day." "And I hope that from time to time you'll think of me." "I'll see you in a while." "Is my hero gonna come back?" "Oh, I reckon he'll be around."