"Joe, you're under arrest." "Maybe so, but don't turn around, Sheriff." "Now what are you gonna do, Sheriff?" "You can do just about what you want, Chance." "Anybody else you want besides Joe?" "No." "Give me a hand." "What is all this?" "Hello, Mr. Wheeler." "Tell your men to stay with the wagons till they're told different." "Who the devil do you think you're ordering around here?" "First Burdette's men stop me, and now you stand there and try..." "Say, seems like I ought to know you." "Think you do, Mr. Wheeler." "Yeah, I remember you now." "That star you're wearing kind of threw me off for a minute." "Aren't you the fella the Mexicans used to call Brochin?" "That's nearly right, only it's Borrachón." "I don't think I've ever seen you like this before." "You mean sober?" "You're probably right." "You know what Borrachón means?" "My Spanish ain't too good." "It means drunk." "Now if the name bothers you, they used to call me Dude." "Now, are you gonna tell your men, or do I?" "I'll tell my men." "Standby the wagons, everybody!" "Pass the word." "SHERIFF" "Chance, what's going on here?" "People stopping me." "Everybody telling me what I can do and what I can't do." "Next thing I know you'll be telling me what to do." " All right, Pat, I will tell you." " What?" " Stop your wagons." " I give up." "Now, don't tell me what's going on." "Just leave me wandering around in this fog." "I like it." "I'm getting used to it." "It makes me feel so good." "You better look out, Pat." "You'll blow up and bust." "Listen, Chance, remember me, your old friend Pat Wheeler?" " Now, will you please..." " Hey, Chance!" "What do you wanna do about this outfit?" "Do you wanna take their guns?" "Got any new men with you, Pat?" "No, nobody except Colorado here." " Where'd you take him on?" " Fort Worth." "What does he do?" "I speak English, Sheriff, if you want to ask me." "All right, buster, what do you do?" "I'm riding guard." "Pretty young for that, aren't you?" "Just how old do you have to be, Sheriff?" "You remember Ryan from Denver, don't you?" "Rocky Ryan?" "That's his boy." "He tells me the kid's faster than he was." "He better be, packing a pair of guns." "Now, Sheriff, if it's the two guns that bother you, I could give you one of 'em." "I could let you have them both." "They wouldn't do me too much good." "That fellow in the door there has a shotgun on me." " Stumpy, didn't I tell..." " I know." "I'm going." "I'm going." "You can keep your guns, Colorado." "Thanks, Sheriff." "I don't want any trouble." "Well, then don't start any." "I won't, unless I tell you first." "That's good enough." "Pat, you can put your wagons in that corral." "I ought to do just that." " What?" " I'm just guessing, you understand." "It seems to me that you've already got some trouble around here." "You're guessing right." "It so happens that part of my load there is fuel oil and dynamite." "Would you like to have that sitting right next to you?" "No, I wouldn't." "They could put 'em over there by the creek, near the Burdette warehouse." "If it's gonna blow, that's just as good a place as any." "Show 'em the way, Dude." "You can go along, Colorado." "Is that the way you want it, Mr. Wheeler?" "Go ahead." "Well?" "Let's get out of the middle of the street." "Now that you're satisfied and that the kid's got his guns, would you mind telling me what this is all about?" "We've got Joe Burdette in here." "Joe Burdette in jail?" "Nathan's brother?" "That's right." "What are you holding him for?" "They were about to bury the reason when you were coming in." "Murder?" "No other word for it." "No wonder this town's in such a mess." "What does Nathan say about this?" "Nothing." "He's not talking." "Just doing." "You saw part of it." "He's got this town so bottled up that I can't get Joe out or any help in." "His men are over there watching us." "There he is." "I can't make a move without him knowing it." "Who you got helping you?" "You met half of them." "You mean that fellow with the badge that stopped me?" "And who else?" "Stumpy." "You know him." "He's watching Joe and guarding the jail." "A game-legged old man and a drunk." "That's all you got?" "That's what I got." "If I ever saw a man holding the bull by the tail, you're it." "It was a good idea putting my wagons where they're safe." "Guess I better see they did it." "I'll see you later." "Better get back up there and watch the road." "You don't look so good." "I feel worse." "Think I'll stop off and get a beer." "I thought you would." "Got some in here." "Cold." "Just as long as it's beer." "Stumpy, didn't I tell you to stay out of sight?" "There you go." "I never can please you." "I was just covering you in case of trouble." "I'd be in more trouble if you'd have got picked off" " while you were standing at that door." " You'd be in trouble?" "What about me if somebody gunned me down?" "Don't you never think of me?" "Dude, I guess we better get used to it." "Here's a fella don't think of nobody but himself." "I told you why I want you back in there, and you're gonna stay there with that cage locked while I'm not around." " You hear me?" " I heard you." "And those windows, did you fix them?" "Them shutters is nailed up tighter than a drum." "Nothing could get in here now." " Not even a breath of fresh air." " That's the way I want it." "Yeah, but you change my life." "Can't help it." "Five, six days breathing the same air as a man like Joe Burdette is apt to make a killer out of me." "You can hear me back there, can't you, Joe?" "I hear you all right, but I won't have to listen to you for very long." "Now, Joe, that's gratitude for you, after me fixing up all your cuts and bruises like I done." "I hope it happens again." "I won't do it." "That's all." " Shut up!" " I take it back, Joe." "If it does happen again, I'll do just like I done before, only I hope you have more cuts and bruises to fix." "Hey, Dude." "Dude, come here a minute." "What do you want?" "Why don't you sit in here in place of Stumpy?" "I'd rather listen to a drunk than him." "How you holding up, Borrachón?" "Got the shakes yet?" "That beer ain't gonna do you no good." "You'll have to get something stronger than that." "If you're still broke, I think I got another dollar." "Chance, you gonna let him do that to me?" "I'll do better than that." "I'll let him have the key to your cell anytime he wants it." "It'd be too easy." "He's got nobody to back him up." "If he talks out of turn, throw a bucket of water on him." "I'll throw one in the middle of his bed and leave him sleep in it." "Want another beer?" "You kind of wasted some of that last one." "No, it wasn't wasted, except I missed him." "I don't need any more." "Hey, in the jail." "That's far enough." "What do you want?" "Mr. Wheeler said to bring this package to the Sheriff." "Hey, Chance, you expecting a package?" "Be right out." "Stumpy?" "Yeah?" "Going over to the hotel for a few minutes." "If you don't come back, me and Joe'll have us a good cry." "Just keep that door locked." " Thanks for your trouble." " No trouble at all." "Wheeler says just be careful coming up." "Looks like our friend's still on the job." "Yeah." "There's another one over by the church." "Any use in arresting him?" "For just standing around?" "All I'd do is get another one." "The jail isn't big enough to hold all of 'em." "As a matter of fact, they'd like to get a few in jail." "Remember that." "Señor Chance." "I've been looking for you." "I have a message for..." "What you have here?" "The package you've been waiting for." " Just in time, señor." " Carlos!" "Carlos!" "Where you are?" "I'm over here." "You keep it." "Consuela, she come now." "Carlos." "Señor Chance." "I just ask Carlos if he's..." "Carlos, what is wrong?" "You look like the cat who swallows the chicken." "What have you been doing?" "What have I been doing?" "I've been talking to my friend the Sheriff, that's what I have been doing." "We have important business." "You say I look like the cat who eats too much." "Consuela, look at me." "Am I fat?" " I did not say you are fat." " Please, Consuela, do not say more." "You already say too much." "Me and my friend will make our business alone." "Come, señor." "You take chances, my friend." "Because I know woman." "If she will be mad or she will be sorry..." "If it is mad, she will be much pleasure to make right, and if she is sorry, it will be the same pleasure." "You do not have women, so you do not know, señor, but me, Carlos Robante, I know." "Wait till I show you what is in this package." "Then you tell me if I do not know about women." "If I had bought these myself, señor, everyone in town would have known, and it's not the sort of thing that Consuela would like to have known by everyone." "You see?" "Are they not beautiful, señor?" "Can you make the picture how she will look?" "You sure you want me to do that?" "No, señor." "Do not make the picture." "It is best for me to do it." "I beg your pardon, gentlemen, but I'm looking for a..." "Those things have great possibilities, but not for you." "What are you doing here?" "Until I saw those things, I was looking for a towel." "I'd like to take a bath." "Didn't you come in on the stage?" "That's right." "Why aren't you on it?" "Whoever heard of a stagecoach having a bathroom?" "I forgot." "I start to tell you, and I forgot." "The stage, she did not go." "Why?" "Something happened with the wheel." "Where's Jake?" "Near the corral." "He must fix the wheel before he can leave." "That's just fine." "Hey, Sheriff, you forgot your pants." "You reckon they'll try anything tonight?" "Could be." "Nathan Burdette's smart." "Don't underrate him." "That ain't no kind of answer." "How or what he'll do, I don't know." "Your guess is as good as mine." "What I want to know is when." "I wish he'd hurry up and do it." "Have a bottle of beer, Dude?" "I'm full of beer." "It doesn't do any good." "It'll start working on you tomorrow or the next day." "Stumpy, we're gonna take a turn around the town." " You be all right?" " Course I'll be all right." "Then get in there where you belong." "I'm going, but you remember one thing." "When you come back, you holler before you open that door." "I'm liable to blast you just for the heck of it." "We'll holler." "You got any particular reason for going out tonight?" "Usually do." "Don't want to do anything different." "They might think we're scared." "Aren't we?" "I just can't take it sitting in there." "You mean you saw I couldn't take it." "Don't set yourself up as being so special." "Think you invented the hangover." "I could sure take out a patent for this one." "Take that side." "Good evening." "Yes, sir." "Hold it, Dude." "Stairway." "Don't shoot, Sheriff." "Just getting a little air." "I'm getting jumpy." "I'll walk along with you and hold your hand." "Get back over there where you belong." "Yes, Papa." " Carlos." " Señor Chance." "I been looking for you." " It is very bad, señor." " What's wrong?" " Your friend Señor Wheeler." " What about him?" "He is a good friend, and he wishes good for you, so he talks." "He talks to people." "He talk to everybody." "He say, why they don't help you, that you should have some more help." "He's right, Señor Chance, but is no good to say such things to the wrong people." "You tell him." "Is he in there?" "Chance, he's over there." "Queens full." " That's good." " Beats me." "Spare a minute, Pat?" "Good evening, Sheriff." "Deal me out." "Evening." "You two know each other?" "Yeah." "No, thanks, Carlos." "Chance, I've been wanting to talk to you." "You've been talking too much, Pat." "What do you mean, I've been talking too much?" "Anybody that sides in with me right now's liable to find themselves up to their ears in trouble." "Is that why you haven't asked for any deputies?" "Carlos." "Give me a new deck of cards." "I'm not having any luck with this one." "I was talking about why you haven't asked for any new deputies." " You could get some, you know." " Yeah." "How about my drivers?" "You could use them." "Suppose I got 'em, what'd I have?" "Some well-meaning amateurs, most of them worried about their wives and kids." "Burdette has 30 or 40 men, all professionals." "Only thing they're worried about is earning their pay." "No, Pat." "All I'd be doing is giving 'em more targets to shoot at." "A lot of people would get hurt." "Joe Burdette isn't worth it." "He isn't worth one of those that'd get killed." "Then what are you gonna do?" "All you got for help's that old man down at the jail and this..." "Borrachón's the name, Mr. Wheeler." "I'll go outside so you can talk more freely." "Wasn't good, Pat." "Let's sit down." "Yeah, I know." "I shouldn't have said it." "I meant nothing by it, but I'm so used to stumbling over that fella." "I don't think I ever did see him standing on his own two feet without something to help hold him up." "How long you been coming here?" "Going on two years." "If you'd have come through three years ago, you wouldn't have stumbled over him." "Dude was good." "He was my deputy." "Best man with a gun I ever worked with." "That's pretty hard to believe, Chance." "What..." "A girl." "Just a girl that came through on the stage." "She was no good, but couldn't tell him that." "I tried, and he damned near killed me." "Anyway, he was hooked." "Went away with her." "Six months later, he came back without her." "That's when the Mexicans started calling him Borrachón." " That's Spanish for..." " I know." "He told me." "So for two years, he's been drinking, all he could buy or somebody'd buy for him, until last night." "And how long do you think that'll last?" "I don't know." "So in the meantime, you have to take care of him, huh?" "He's been doing a pretty good job of taking care of me." "I'm supposed to be your friend, too." "Why don't you let me help you?" "You're not good enough." "I don't know." "I'm at least as good as that..." "If you're so good, why did you have to hire Colorado?" "No, thanks." "You keep out of it." " Hey, that's an idea." " What?" "Ryan." "Colorado you call him." "He's young, Chance, but he's good, real good." "I could use him if he's good, but that's up to him." "Let me see what he says." "Evening, Sheriff." "Any luck, kid?" "It's a pretty fast game." "Son, I asked you over here because the Sheriff's a friend of mine." "He's got trouble." "He can use a good man." "To go against the Burdettes, Sheriff?" "That's right." "I told him you were one of the best." "Well," "I'll tell you what I'm a lot better at, Mr. Wheeler." "That's minding my own business." "No offense, Sheriff." "No offense." "I never expected that." "He showed good sense." " I'd like to have him." " I don't see why you can't..." "Quit stewing, Pat." "You tried." "I appreciate it." "All right, if you don't want me, I'll round up my men and get set for an early start in the morning." "See you before I go." "Enough for me for a while." "You leaving?" "Maybe I'll have some luck now that you're going." "Maybe, if you play your cards right." "Hope you leave some of your luck with me." "I'll come back and give it to you next time." "Well, ante up." "Dude?" "Yeah?" "I'll be out in a couple of minutes." "Hiya, Sheriff." "I'm sorry about those pants." "Carlos told me they weren't yours." "You're in trouble, lady." "I'd like to talk to you." "Sure." "Sheriff, what is it?" "I was looking through the deck of cards you people were using." "Three cards short." "Pretty obvious ones, aces." "Why do you tell me?" "I know every one in that game except you and the fellow in the checkered vest." "And did you talk to him?" "He's still there." "You were leaving." "And I was a winner." "Is that all you've got to go on?" "No, here's a handbill about a gambler they're interested in catching up with." "WANTED" "You know him?" "Says he had a girl with him." "Says the girl's about 22, five foot, five inches tall, good figure, brown hair and wears feathers." "Now, the man isn't our friend in the checkered vest, but you could be the girl." "Yes, I could be." "As a matter of fact, I am." "Make sure you're on the stage in the morning." "You'd better give me the money you won." "I'll see that it gets back to the right people." "It's pretty easy, isn't it?" "Just give you the money and get on the stage." "But I'm not gonna make it that easy." "You've made me mad, Sheriff." "You didn't ask me if I took those cards, so you're gonna have to prove I've got them." "The only way I know you can do that is to search me." " Search you?" " That's right." "Isn't that what a sheriff usually does to a prisoner?" "Let's see, the cards could be in my purse, but they're not." "They could be in my shoes, my stockings," " All right, all right." " garters." "I don't wear anything like those red pants, and my sleeves are too tight, but there's my waist." "You've got a job to do." "Where do you intend to begin?" " That's about enough of that." " You have to prove I've got those cards." " You keep going, and I'm apt to do it!" " I'm not so sure." "I think you're embarrassed, and if you're not..." "If he's not, he ought to be." "What are you doing here?" "I don't think she has the cards, if that's what you're looking for." "How do you know?" "I think the fella in the checkered vest has 'em." "Why didn't you find out?" "I said I wouldn't start anything till I told you first." "Now I'm telling you." "I'm gonna see if he's got 'em." "Wait a minute." "You want to come along?" "I do." "I'm interested, too." "Ace-high straight." "Looks like I got the lady's luck." "All right, keep your hands on the table, right where they are." "Put your hands back, where they were." "Hold out." "He's all yours, Sheriff." "Get up." "Get up!" "We don't like tinhorns around here, mister." "Carlos, lock him in his room." "Let him out in time for the stage." "You losers can help yourself to what's on the table." "Thanks, Colorado." "Sheriff, aren't you forgetting something?" "I guess I was wrong about you having those cards." "Is that all, Sheriff?" "I'm not gonna apologize, if that's what you mean." "We haven't gotten past that handbill, have we?" "That's right." "You haven't done anything to make me think we will." "Idea of being searched didn't bother you much." "Made a joke out of it." "And instead of me being embarrassed, you were." " Could be..." " Tell me, Sheriff, what should I have done?" " Well..." " I'd like to know." "This isn't the first time that handbill has come up." "I'd like to know what to do about it." "You could quit playing cards, wearing feathers." "No, Sheriff." "No, I'm not gonna do that." "You see, that's what I'd do if I were the kind of girl that you think I am." "Dude, you seen Wheeler?" "Not since he went up the street." "I think that's him coming now." "Get him out of here." "Watch the stable." "That's where the shot came from." "Got him in the back." "He's dead." "Didn't take 'em long, less than an hour after he offered to help." "Don't get many friends like that." "You were smart, Colorado." "No one's come out of the stable." "I want to go with you." "Want to help get the man that killed your boss?" "Wouldn't you?" "I wouldn't have let him get shot." "You had a chance to get in this, and you didn't want it." "Stay out." "We don't need you." "If you want to do something, get him out of the street." "Get around to the side where you can see front and back." "How you going in?" "Right through the door." "If he comes out, you can have him." "There's no sense in me telling you to cool down first." "No, there isn't." "I thought so." "I'll let you know when I get there." "Chance, you all right?" "Chance, out here." "You all right?" "Just dirt in my eyes." "Did you get him?" "He came out the side door." "He was running fast." " And you missed him." " I couldn't get a good shot at him." " Might've winged him." " Don't worry." "It's my fault we lost him." "He hasn't got away yet, or I wouldn't be standing here." "He went into Burdette's saloon." "He's still in there." "How do you know?" "Can see both doors from here, and there ain't any others." "I'm an expert on saloons." "Get a chance to see who he was?" "No, but we'll know." "He'll have muddy boots." "He stepped in that puddle by the trough." "You figure we're going in there after him?" " Aren't we?" " We used to." "There's eight or 10 Burdette men in there." "Maybe more." "You take the back door." "I'll go in the front." "I'd like to try..." "You'd like to try what?" "I been going in the back door." "They haven't been letting me in the front." "Think you're good enough?" "I'd like to find out." "So would I." "I'll let you know when I get around back." "Begin with you, Charlie." "That shotgun you keep under the bar, pick it up by the barrels." "Easy." "Thought you were gonna ask for a drink." "It's been a long dry spell." "Shotgun first." "Set it down." "Back up." "Jim, Pedro, get over there." "All right, the rest of you, I'm not gonna tell you twice." "You're gonna stand up and stand real still." "Now!" "All right, now one by one, start with you, unbuckle your guns, drop 'em and step back." "Come on." "There's no reason for you to move, Charlie." "What's this all about?" "We're looking for a man that ran in here." "Nobody's run in here." "We'll remember you said that." "Man we're looking for has muddy boots." "Now, one by one, hold up your feet." "Who saw a man run in here?" "I did." "Almost forgot about you, Charlie." "Come on out." "Clean as a whistle." "Dude, you been seeing things again." "You better have a drink." "Dude, maybe this'll help." "Guess I'll take that drink now, Charlie." "I thought you would." "You want that gun, pick it up." "I wish you would." "Stepped in a puddle all right." "It's the fella we wanted." "I guess this is his, a nice, fresh $50 gold piece." "It's just about what Burdette would figure a man's life was worth." "That's earning money the hard way." "Paid killer." "Nice, fresh $50 gold piece." "You, mister, you got one in your pocket?" "Nobody paid me." "Nobody." "And nobody run in here, either, huh?" "Chance." "I'm not gonna hurt him." "Get up!" "You're all in it, the whole lot of you." "You're gonna get out of town, take your boy here with you." "You can tell Burdette you got Wheeler." "You can tell him anybody else he sends, he'd better pay 'em more 'cause they're gonna earn it." "Charlie, I want you to..." "You finished yet, Dude?" "You in a hurry?" "Not especially." "You threw the silver dollar, didn't you?" " Yeah, Dude, I..." " You want it back?" " Sure." " You know how to get it?" "Yeah." "That's all for me, Chance." "Charlie, come here." "Yeah, Sheriff." "You're going with us." "Why pick on me?" "Why choose me?" "You're carrying these guns down to the jail for us." "All right, back up and give him room." "I guess they'll let you in the front door from now on." "You mean to tell me you followed him into Burdette's saloon?" "Why, you're crazy, and you are, too." "What happened?" "He was hiding in the loft." "Who got him?" "Dude did." "One shot." "I wish I could've seen that." "I wish Wheeler could've, too." "Wheeler didn't think Dude and me was much good." "Leastways it'd have showed him he was wrong about Dude, anyways." "He was wrong about Dude, all right." "You were good in there tonight, good as you've ever been, but you know one reason why you got by with it?" "They were laughing at you." "Borrachón talking big." "You surprised 'em, but next time, they'll be ready for you." "Next time, they'll shoot first and laugh afterwards." "Listen to him!" "Don't get too cocksure." "What a stinker!" "Spit in his eye, Dude." "Never mind him." "He's always been a stinker." "If he were to change, that would worry me." "You'd think I could get one out of a whole sack." "How'd you know that fella was in the loft?" "He was losing blood." "It was dripping into a drink on the bar." "Just when I couldn't find anybody with muddy boots." "I could've sure used a drink then." "If he was bleeding, that means you hit him on the run outside." "You did, Dude?" "Say, that ain't bad." "That ain't bad at all." "Ain't good, either." "We had to go in after him." "Chance, nobody please you no-how?" "You got a light, Stumpy?" "Hey, in the jail!" "It's me, Colorado." "Let him in." "Come on in." "I hear you got the man who shot Wheeler." "Dude did." "Thanks, Dude." "Gonna bury him in the morning." "I've just been at the undertaker's with him." "Here's the money and the papers he had on him." "I took out $60 he owed me." "You got yours." "How about the rest?" "Did he owe them, too?" "Probably did." "Didn't think about that." "I can't turn anything over to you till I get a court order." "Does that mean you hold the wagons, too?" "That's right." "Meantime, I'm broke." "If you or any of the rest are short eating money," "I'll go good for it." "I'll tell 'em at the hotel." "I wish you'd do that soon before anything happens to you." "No offense again, Sheriff." "It's nice to see a smart kid for a change." "Yeah, he ain't like the usual kid with a gun." "Wonder if he's as good as Wheeler said?" "I'd say he is." "I'd say he's so good, he doesn't feel he has to prove it." "Don't you ever sleep?" "I was beginning to think you didn't." "I wanted to talk to you." "Don't tell me you're still looking for an apology." "No." "No, I was thinking of making one." "I was pretty much of a..." "I got out of line tonight, and I'm not proud of it." "My only excuse is, I didn't know about all the trouble you were in." "I'm gonna have a drink." "How about you?" "Thanks, I'd like one." "I'm sorry about Mr. Wheeler." "Carlos told me he was a friend of yours." "That's why he got shot, or did Carlos tell you that, too?" "Yes, he told me." "How does a man get to be a sheriff?" "Gets lazy." "Gets tired of selling his gun all over." "Decides to sell it in one place." "I'd say you made a poor sale." "A lot of people around here will agree with you." "But it's still a sale, and it's too late to back out." "Not to change the subject, but how does a girl get herself on a handbill?" "She gets married." " Handbill says he was a cheat." " He wasn't a cheat then." "That came later, after his luck turned." "It was probably my fault he cheated." "He liked to buy me things." "Then why did you leave him?" "I didn't." "He left me rather suddenly." "He was caught just like that man tonight, only his luck had run out." "He was shot." "You've had a rough time." "You're wrong, Sheriff." "I've had a good time." "I liked gambling." "We went everywhere, had the best of everything." "I didn't know that he was cheating until they caught him, and if I had known, it might have been rough." "That's probably why he didn't tell me." "When did this happen?" "About four months ago." "Since then, I've been working to get enough money for stage fare." "You going home?" "I haven't any." "Señor Chance!" "I didn't know you were here." "Why do you not tell me?" "You should be in bed." "Last night, you slept just a little bit, but tonight, señor, you will sleep well." "I will watch." "No, Carlos, you stay out of it." "I don't want anybody else helping me." "This is my hotel, and you are a guest under my roof, and I will not be told what I shall do and what I shall not do, señor." "All right, Carlos." "What you do?" "I'll sleep in the jail." "But you can't sleep..." "There's no need to watch." "I'm a light sleeper." "I'll lock the door and hook a chair under the knob." "Anybody tries to get in, I'll hear 'em." " One thing." " What?" "If I'm asleep at sunup, wake me." " But it's not enough." " Will you?" "I say no more." "Have a good sleep." "I'm gonna turn in." "If I don't see you in the morning, so long." "So long." "By the way, where are you going?" "Some place where there aren't any handbills." "That thing keeps popping up." "That's why I'm a little touchy about it." "I know the sheriff that got these out." "I'll write him a letter, get 'em called in." "Then you won't have people like me making trouble for you." "Well, thanks." "Carlos!" "It's after 7:00." "Why didn't you wake me up?" " The girl." " The girl?" "That one with the feathers." "What's she got to do with it?" "She told me not to wake you." "She was sitting outside your room in a chair." "Sitting outside my room in a chair?" "All night long." "She was still there two, three minutes ago." "Most likely she hear you get up." "She told me not to wake you, señor." "You can tell her..." " The fool!" " Tell her she's a fool?" "No!" "I'll tell her myself." "You tell her she's a fool?" "I didn't say I was." "He say..." "She say..." "Me, I'm in the middle." "Who is it?" "It's me, the Sheriff." "Just a minute." "Come on in." "Hi." "Did you get a good night's sleep?" "Who, me?" "Yes, you." "There's nobody else in the room." "Carlos had to go and talk." "I couldn't sleep anyway." "I was just as well off out there in the hall." "If anybody had come in, you'd have yelled before they shot you." "Is that it?" "Fool women." " Didn't you hear me say that..." " I know." "You don't want anyone to help you." "I heard you tell Carlos." " Why did you do it?" " You weren't supposed to know about it." "Why didn't you just go out and not talk to Carlos?" "He didn't wake me up!" "Don't blame him." "That was my fault." "All right, nothing happened." "Nobody got hurt." "You got some sleep." "I lost some." "Now I'm tired, and you're mad, and I'm getting mad, so you'd better go on." "I'm gonna get some sleep, too." "You can't go to bed now." "I can't?" "You just see whether or not I can go to bed now or not." "You've got to get on that stagecoach." " What'd you say?" " The stage, it leaves in an hour." " Why didn't you tell me?" " I just did." "Then you better get out, then, so I can get a bath and pack my things." "I can't do it if you stand around talking." "You're doing most of the talking." "That's right." "I am, and I can't do that and bathe and pack, too." " Will you just go on and go?" " I'm going." "Then do it." "Don't talk any more." "I'm doing enough and neither of us are saying anything, so just go on and let me get on the stage." "Oh, hell!" "Goodbye." "I just wanted to..." "You could've at least let me finish." "You try to help someone who doesn't want any help." "I guess I talk too much." " You tell her?" " Tell her what?" "That she's a fool?" "She's going on the stage?" "She's going on the stage, and you make sure she does." "You say she was going, why should I make sure?" "Because I say for you to make sure she does." "I hold you responsible." "Responsible, me?" "Yes." "Dude, he's up the street." "He told me to tell you he's gone." "So I see." "There's a lot of people in town today." "Did you hear why?" "A man say he hear maybe Nathan Burdette will come to see you today." "Most likely they here to watch." "If he does, they may see something." "I don't like it." "Neither do I." "Tom, just hang your gun on the fence with the others." " You can pick it up when you leave." " Sure enough." "That's far enough." "I got orders to take your guns." "Suppose we don't want to give 'em up?" "You think you're good enough to take 'em against six of us?" "For a smart man, Mr. Burdette, that's pretty stupid." "You won't need a gun no more 'cause you'd be the first man I'd get." "Come on, let's go." "Harris, you're pretty good right there." "Hold it, Harris!" "He cut my reins." "I'd say he did it on purpose, and I'm telling you to hold it." "Now just hang your guns over there on the fence, and you can pick 'em up when you leave." "Hang up your guns." "You're pretty good with that gun when you're sober." "Not bad." "How does that happen?" "If you mean being good with a gun, I've had a lot of practice." "If you mean being sober, I'm getting practice on account of your brother." "I don't follow you." "You don't have to follow me." "Matt!" "Didn't you hear the boss say that I was sober?" "The extra gun in your vest, lay that on the fence, too." "You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?" "All right, Mr. Burdette, get going." "I got no more to talk to you about." "You should enjoy it, Dude." "Every man should have a little taste of power before he's through." "Stumpy!" "Burdette and his men are coming in." "Don't put down no red carpet for them." "And I'm staying right where I'm supposed to." "You do that." "Morning, Sheriff." "Hello, Burdette." "Been expecting you." "I want to see my brother." "You can come in, but that doesn't mean the rest of you." "He's not your brother." "Go on across the street with the others." "Do as he says." "What are all those people doing in town?" "I didn't ask." "Didn't ask 'em to come or ask 'em why they're here, but I think they're watching to see what you're gonna do." "You don't like that, do you?" "Too many witnesses." "Now, do you want to keep talking to me or see your brother?" "See my brother." "We're coming in, Stumpy." "Come ahead." "Don't wait for me to carry you." "All right, Stumpy, open up." "What's the password?" "Come on." "I'm coming." "I wouldn't miss this." "Just want him to see how we're set up." "Look who's here." "Place's getting all cluttered up with Burdettes." "Come right in, Mr. Burdette." "That fella round the corner with a banged-up face is your brother." "Nathan." "Joe." "Looks like they gave you a going over." "Our friend here." "Why?" "He didn't take too kindly to being arrested for murder." "It wasn't murder." "If he says it wasn't murder, why do you say it was?" "Man gets shot that's got a gun, there's room for reasonable doubt." "Man gets shot that hasn't got a gun, what would you call it?" "You knew that already, otherwise you wouldn't have set things up the way you did." "Just what have I done?" "You're a rich man, Burdette." "Big ranch." "Pay a lot of people to do what you want 'em to do." "And you got a brother." "He's no good, but he's your brother." "If he committed 20 murders, you'd try and see he didn't hang for 'em." "I don't like that kind of talk." "Now you're practically accusing me of..." "Let's get this straight." "You don't like it." "I don't like a lot of things." "I don't like your men sitting on the road bottling up this town." "I don't like your men watching us, trying to catch us with our backs turned, and I don't like it when a friend of mine offers to help, and 20 minutes later, he's dead," "and I don't like you, Burdette, because you set it up." "What are you gonna do about it?" "I thought you'd get around to that." "I'm gonna sit right here with your brother in my lap until the United States Marshal gets here." "That'll be about six days." "He may ask a few questions about that busted wheel, but I think you're too smart to have stopped that stage completely." "Now I'm running out of breath." "You talk if you want to." "He talks awful big for a man that's all alone except for a barfly and a cripple." "You can get me out of here any..." "Shut up, Joe." "You're not as smart as your brother, Joe." "He sees Stumpy here sitting around the corner locked in with you, and if that isn't plain enough, I'll tell you why." "If any trouble starts around this jail, before anybody can get to you, you're gonna get accidentally shot." "I can practical guarantee that." "I see you still have a little grudge against us." "Four hundred and sixty acres might be little to you, Nathan, but it was a lot of country to me." "Don't take no chances, Nathan." "He looks just crazy enough to shoot me." "He's smarter than I thought." "You know, a court might just call that murder, too." "What's the difference?" "We'd all be dead by then." "You got anything else you want to say?" "Just one thing." "Joe has friends." "You can't hold Joe or me responsible for them, what you say they've done or what they might do." "I want to make that clear." "I'll help you make it clear." "I don't think Joe's got a friend in the world, and he won't have any unless somebody buys 'em for him at $50 a head, like the fella that shot Wheeler." "You made it clear." "All right, Stumpy." "Nathan." "Just sit tight, Joe." "Send me a bottle before you leave town." "You do that 'cause part of my job is to see that it ain't poisoned." "Sometimes it takes quite a spell to find out." "He didn't have much to say, did he?" "No." "What did you leave him go for?" "You had plenty to hold him on." "Anything they're gonna do is planned already, or he wouldn't have come in here." "Throwing him with Joe'd just give him an alibi for whatever happens." "I never thought of that." " What do you think is gonna happen?" " I don't know." "You can think, can't you?" "I think I told you to get back in there and stay with that door locked." "You be careful how you talk to me, now." "You hear what Joe said." "You're alone, excepting for a barfly and an old cripple." "Calling me an old cripple." "I like hearing you say that, Joe." "I gotta fix your supper for you tonight." "Señor Chance." "Señor Chance." "It's me, Carlos." "Come on in." "What do you want?" "I want to talk to you." "Did the girl..." "What happened to your eye?" "You told me to put the lady on the stage." "She did that?" "What'd you do?" " She did not do it." " I thought you said she did." "I say you tell me to put her on the stage." "Consuela, she hit me in the eye." "I'm a little mixed up." "Please, señor, do not talk." "I tell you." " Go ahead." " It is better if I tell you." "You told me to put the lady on the stage." " Right." " The stage she's ready," " but she don't come down." " What?" "I yell at her, "Come down." She said she ain't coming." "I go up and get her." "She said she don't go." "Did she go?" "I tell her you say go." "I tell her I am responsible." "She say, no, she is responsible, and I said that may be, and I pick her up." "Then Consuela say, "What are you doing with that woman?"" "And I say I take her to the stage." "The woman said she don't want to go on the stage." " Did she go on the stage?" " Please!" "Consuela tell me, "Put her down." I said I am responsible." "Consuela thinks that mean something else, so she give me this eye." "What'd you do?" "Do?" "What can I do?" "My arms is full of the lady." "I can do nothing." "I drop her on the floor." "She yells, and she says I tried to kill her." "Did the girl get on the stage?" "No, she did not go, but Jake says he couldn't wait." " Why?" " He says he must leave." "I mean the girl." "Did she say why she wasn't going?" "No, she didn't say." "How can I know if she don't say?" "Please come and tell Consuela what "responsible" means." "Stumpy, we're going out." "Fine." "I like to be left alone." "I'm getting used to it." "The door's unlocked." "I didn't go." "I can see that." "I don't know." "I had everything all packed, then Carlos yelled the stage was ready, and I heard somebody saying they weren't going." "It was me saying it." "And you want to know why I didn't go, don't you, Sheriff?" "What's your name, anyway?" "I don't even know that." "Chance, John T." "T for trouble." "I always make you mad, don't I, John T?" "Then don't make me tell you why I stayed." "I won't make it any harder for you." "I won't get in your way." "I'll just be here." "You don't owe me a thing, and you won't owe me when it's all over." "When that happens, just tell me to go, and I'll go." "No, you won't even have to tell me." "I'll know by then, and I'll just go." "Is that fair, John T?" "You don't have to answer me now if you don't want to, but just say something." "If I weren't in this mess, it might be different, but I am." "That's all I wanted to hear." "I'm glad we tried it a second time." "It's better when two people do it." "I've kept you long enough." "You'd better run along now and do your job." "Hi, Chance." "It's getting too dark to do any good out there." "Just be a sitting duck." "Anything happen when Burdette left?" "Nice as pie." "Didn't say a word." "What was the shot when they came in?" "That gunslinger of his was on the prod." "What'd he do?" "Nothing, just grunted and growled, made a few faces." "Took care of that." "What happened here?" "Not much." "That tune, they been playing it all day." "What is it?" "It's some Mexican piece." "I heard it farther south." "Evening, Sheriff." "Colorado." "What do you want?" "Just curious again." "How'd you come out with Burdette?" "He wanted to talk to his brother." "What'd he have to say?" "Nothing." "You mean, he didn't say anything?" "Why are you so interested?" "Because he's talking now." "Hear that music?" "He told the man to play it." "What is it?" "They call it the Degüello, the cutthroat song." "The Mexicans played it for those Texas boys when they had 'em bottled up in the Alamo." "Played it day and night till it was all over." "Now do you know what he means by it?" "No quarter." "No mercy for the losers." "You'll be hearing a lot of it." "I guess we made him talk, after all." "Just thought you'd like to know, Sheriff." "Stumpy!" "What?" "They don't need any help with that tune." "What's the matter?" "Is it getting through to you?" "By the way, the stage got off all right." "I watched it clear through the valley." "About six days till the Marshal will get here." "That's what I figured." "The girl wasn't on the stage." "I know that." "Tell her she could stay?" "No, she..." "Yes, I did." "What about it?" "Nothing, nothing at all." "You were going to say something." "I remembered in time." "I remembered another girl came through on a stage that stopped over." "I remember you told me she was no good." "I didn't believe you, but you were right, so naturally, I figured you're an expert, and you know just what you're doing all the time." "I just hope you have better luck than I had." "You know, that's the first time I've been able to laugh about that." "Maybe there's some hope for me yet." "Maybe, but I doubt it." "That's what I like about you." "You're such an encouraging..." "If you go by the hotel, pick up some coffee and sugar, will you?" "Joe complaining?" "Him?" "He don't get no sugar." "His coffee's just water poured over the old grounds." "I'll learn him to talk out of turn." "Before I forget, your gun's a little stiff." "You mind if I file the action a bit?" "No!" "I don't want you to file no action on my gun." "I don't want no easy pull." "I might shoot myself." "Get somebody else's." "Why don't you give him his own guns?" "I forgot all about 'em." "Your memory ain't no better than mine." "They been locked up in there now for over a year, excepting when you took 'em out to clean 'em and oil 'em." "Where'd you get these?" "Bought 'em off the fella you sold 'em to." "I didn't..." "I don't know how to..." "Let's take a turn around the town." "Get Stumpy his coffee." "Ain't you gonna tell me to get back in there?" "No, stay out here and get shot." "I might do that just for spite." "Might get a laugh out of you." "What I put up with for $30 a month." "Feels good." "Come on." "By the way, am I drawing pay?" "Same as before." "In that case, you can take out what you gave for these guns." "No hurry." "If you're feeling so generous, I could use an advance." "Buy a new pair of pants, new shirt, something without all these holes in it." "No need of that." "When you lit out, you left some things behind." "I got 'em at the hotel." "You been keeping 'em all this time?" "Been waiting till they fit you again." "You could use a bath and a shave, too." "I don't know about the shave." "I'm liable to cut my own throat." "Chance?" "Yeah?" "They'll fit." "Thanks." "There you are." "How about you, John T?" "Shall I work on you?" "I do my own shaving." "I thought you did." "I was just reminding you." "Sure buy a lot of drinks with that." "You sure could." "I'll let you keep it for me." "Feathers, thanks for the shave." "Might call on you again." "Any time because I'll be here." "I didn't tell you, John T. Carlos is giving me a job." "Good for Carlos." "Shall we take Stumpy his coffee and things?" "You in a hurry, John T?" "I'd like to talk to you for a minute." "I'll wait for you." "Thanks, Dude." " I just wanted to ask you..." " What's this about a job?" "Carlos says he's not sleeping very well." "Says I can help out downstairs." "Tending bar?" "Among other things." "You think I shouldn't?" "Why ask me?" "The way you said, "Tending bar."" " All right, I won't do it." " I didn't say not to." "You don't like the idea." "Why should it be up to me?" "Why should I care?" "I don't know why you get mad when I ask you." " I'm not mad." " You're not?" " You'd make anybody mad." " I suppose I would." "As long as you haven't anything against it, I'll take the job." "Go ahead." "Thanks, I will." "What were you gonna ask me?" "Never mind." "You're in too bad a humor." "What were you going to ask?" "Whether you were going to sleep here in the hotel tonight." "Get one thing straight." "There'll be no more chair-sitting outside this door." "I know." "I've given that up." "Anyway, I have a better idea." "Tonight you sleep in my room." "Anyone looking for you wouldn't look there first." "You'd have more time if anything did happen." "Besides, I have a rocking chair." "It's more comfortable." "Just an idea." "You can think about it when you're in a little better humor." "Chance!" "Señor Chance!" "The shot came from the jail." "Chance, look out!" "Don't go in there." "That idiot just took a shot at me." "Stumpy!" "You all right?" "Sure I am, but there's a feller out there with a black hat that ain't." "And I'm that fella." "Coming in." "Look what he did to my hat." "Stumpy, that was Dude you shot at." "Dude?" "I didn't know." "Didn't look like Dude." "Fool almost blowed my head off." "How'd I know it was you?" "You get yourself all dolled up like Astor's pet horse and then stick your nose in that door and don't say nothing." "Look at this hat." "If you hadn't ducked, that's what your head would've looked like." "I never would've fired if I knew it was you." "Okay, I know." "Just stop talking, will you?" "The shot didn't bother me." "I've been shot at before." "You could've hollered." "Just 'cause you get cleaned up don't mean you can't talk." "You didn't get your tonsils washed out." "Okay, it's my fault." "I should've yelled." "I shouldn't have taken a bath." "Just stop talking." "Just let it be." "You been going around here for the last couple of years like something the cat dragged in, and now you expect..." "Shut up!" "I told you, Stumpy, I've had it." "Don't let me tell you again." "You're getting a little touchy, aren't you?" "I've been listening to that old fool talk until I'm..." "All right, I'm wrong." "That old fool is talking because he nearly killed you." "He's the one that's scared." "We've been pampering you too much." "You better get some sleep." "You know, he acts like I done it a-purpose, and I didn't." "You see that door there?" "That look like I done it a-purpose?" "It's gonna get cold here at night, and I'm gonna leave it get cold 'cause I ain't a-gonna fix that door." "It weren't my fault." "Were it?" "I know." "I'll fix the door." "Hiya, Sheriff." "How do you like your new job?" "They've been keeping me pretty busy." "You through for the day?" "Going to bed?" "I thought I would." " Can I make you some coffee?" " No, thanks." " Anything to eat?" " Nope." "How about a drink?" "I'll take a drink." "Carlos says this is for special guests." "Tired, aren't you, John T?" "I can fix you a nice hot bath." "All I want is that drink." "Then this is all I can do for you?" "I thought you said I could think about it." "You're right." "I did." "Put it on the tab." "In case you make up your mind, I left my door open." "Get a good night's sleep." "You're not helping me any." "Morning, Dude." "Good morning." "Have a good night?" "All right, I guess." "Eat anything?" " No, I..." " This morning?" "Stumpy fixed something." "I asked you a question." "You didn't answer it." "All right, I'll answer you." "I didn't sleep good, didn't eat anything." "I had a beer, and it didn't do any good." "Think you can stand your watch?" "When I can't do that, I'll let you know." " Take the vest off." " Yeah." "Where's his hat?" "Get out there." "We'll be along as soon as we get him tied." "Stumpy, did Dude have a bad night?" "He's suffering thunderation, Chance." "His mind's just beginning to work again now, and he sees what he done to himself." "Ain't pretty." "He's gotta sweat it out, and don't let him cry on your shoulder, either." "He ain't done it yet." "Why are you so goll-darned ornery?" "Always picking on Dude." " Stumpy, you got any tobacco?" " No, I give the last there was to Dude." "He uses it up fast." "You gotta get some for yourself, but what I'm asking you is, why're you picking on Dude?" "All right, be nice to him, and then he'll fall apart in small pieces." "Maybe you're right." "You know him better than I do." "I guess some folks is built that way, but that wouldn't work with me." "You could at least have a kind word for me now and then, considering what I have to do around here." "The sweeping and the cooking and the nursemaiding that killer back there." "Not even a thank you do I get." "Maybe you're right, Stumpy." " You're a treasure." " Well..." " I don't know what I'd do without you." " Well, I..." "Go back to being yourself." "Leastwise I'm used to that." "He's coming down the street now." "Morning, Sheriff." "Colorado." "I been hearing a lot of talk." "Thought you might be interested." "About what?" "Mostly about you telling Burdette what would happen to Joe if trouble started around the jail." "Guess he didn't expect to hear that." "Kind of new to me, too." "Would you have said it any different?" "No." "If he was doing to me what he's doing to you," "I'd tell him the same thing." "Besides, he can't take a chance on whether you'd really do it or not." "I don't suppose so." "But you can be sure he's gonna try it a different way." "Got enough left there for another?" "Sure." "Help yourself." "You always keep that carbine cocked?" "Only when I carry it." "How come you carry a rifle?" "I found some were faster than me with a short gun." "I don't suppose you have a match, either?" "All out of them, too." "I'll get some." "Sheriff, we ran into some trouble on the road." "Al here is hurt." "His horse threw him." "Your deputy said we could find a doctor." "Round the corner." "About three or four doors to the right." "Stay away from that rifle, Sheriff." "You can see we've still got our guns." "That ain't your deputy up the street." "Unloosen that belt." "What've you done to him?" "Don't worry about him." "Worry about yourself." "He's all right." "He ain't gonna be and neither are you unless you do as you're told." "Stay back here." "We're going down to the jail." "You're gonna turn Joe Burdette loose, or you and your deputy are gonna quit worrying about this whole thing." "Take your choice." "Are you just gonna stand here?" "If you want to get him shot, just go out there." "What'll it be?" "If you want to do something, when I get out on the porch in the clear, take that flower pot and throw it through the window, and duck after you throw it." "Just keep coming, mister." " Who, me?" " Yes, you." "Grab that horse." "Colorado, where's he going?" "He's gonna see if Dude's all right." "Chance, over here." "You look a little used." "What'd they do?" "I heard shooting." "They had me cold." "Gonna make me open the jail." "What happened?" "I didn't have to." "Colorado helped me." "If you'd have had him here, this wouldn't have happened." "I can get up by myself!" "I let 'em get me." "I let 'em walk right up an stick my head in the water trough, and it was easy for 'em." "I'm good when I'm sober, boy, real good." "I should've known better, a man ought to have sense enough to know when he's no good no more." " Where are you going?" " Get your hands off of me." "I said, where are you going?" "You've got no use for a man you can't depend on." "One bad night, and I'm done for." "An old man takes a potshot at me, and I'm finished." "I tried and I tried hard, and where did it get me?" "Look at me." "I got 'em so bad." "What can a man do with hands like that?" "I'm through." "I quit, John." "I quit." "All right, quit." "Nobody's trying to stop you." "If you want to quit, quit." "Go on back to the bottle." "Get drunk." "One thing, though." "Somebody throws a dollar in a spittoon, don't expect me to do something about it." "Just get down on your knees and go after it." "I'm sorry." "Sorry don't get it done, Dude." "That's the second time you hit me." "Don't ever do it again." "Maybe you're right." "Maybe you aren't much good anymore." "Here are your guns." "Fella that took your hat must've left this." "You get something out of it." "Now come on down to the jail, and I'll give the money you got coming." "I think this is your horse, señor." "Yeah, that's mine." "Thanks." "I guess Dude's all right." "Anyway, he's walking." "I'm so glad." "I was afraid." "My stomach seems..." "Come on, maybe a drink will help." "Go on up to the jail, and wait for me there." "Tell Stumpy to give you a drink." "Señor Chance." "What do you wish me to do with this three dead men?" "You're the undertaker, Burt." "Bury 'em." "There's another one down by the bridge." "Send in your bill, and the county will pay you." "No need for that." "Each one of them had two new $50 gold pieces in his pocket." "Price is going up." "What?" "Nothing, Burt." "Bring their guns and other stuff to the jail." "It will be done." "Here is your gun, señor." "Thank you, Carlitos." "Where's Colorado?" "He is inside the hotel." "He took the girl Feathers." "Better give me another, Colorado." "Yes, ma'am." "Look at me, Colorado." "Take a good look." "Would you say my head is soft?" "Would you say I'm an idiot?" "No, ma'am." "You'd be a liar, then." "Better go easy on that stuff." "That makes three you've had." "Yep, you'd be lying because that's what I am, a softheaded idiot." "There isn't any other explanation for staying around here and inviting myself into this." "He told me..." "Hi, Sheriff." "We saw you coming back." "Dude was all right, wasn't he?" "He's all right." "So am I, thanks to you." "Thank the lady here." "Sure, thank the lady." "She did a big thing." "She threw a flower pot through the window and helped get three men killed, or was it four?" "Why did you make me do it?" " I made you do it?" " Sure, you did." "Didn't he, Colorado?" "He wasn't gonna do what those men told him, not him." "You were just gonna get yourself killed." "That's all." "Somebody had to..." "What were you gonna do, Sheriff?" "I'm glad I didn't have to make up my mind." "You weren't going down to that jail, so somebody had to help you, but you don't want anybody to do that, do you?" "You're right." "You didn't make me help you." "It was my own idea." "It was my idea to stay here." "You told me to get on that stage." "I know you did." "I'm glad you didn't." "What?" "I'm glad you didn't go." "What'd you have to say a thing like that for?" "You know, just when we get one thing settled you have to go bring up another." "You just don't make any sense." "That's all." "And neither do I." "And neither do you, Colorado." "What're you doing in this?" "You don't have the excuse that I have." "I better go before I make a fool of myself." "I don't know why I should go, through, because we're all fools." "We ought to get along very well together, all of us." "I'm going, anyway." "We're just a bunch of idiots." "That's all." "Just a bunch of idiots." "How did she get mixed up in this?" "She didn't feel too good." " She had a couple of drinks." " I don't mean this." "I mean out there." "She was going outside to help you." "How, I don't know, and neither did she." "I told her to throw that flower pot through the window, and I went out instead." "And that's your reason for throwing in with me." "She's right." "It doesn't make any sense." "Wheeler just talked about helping me, but you saved my neck." " Burdette isn't gonna kiss you for that." " No." "So you're in." "Don't tell me you didn't think about that." "Before you did it, I mean." "If I'm gonna get shot at, I might as well get paid for it." "How do I get a badge?" "Come on, I'll get you one." "I ought to tell you." "Dude's quitting." "I'm sorry for that, but I figure why is not my business." "You've got peculiar ways of choosing what is your business." "You telling me they was gonna bring Chance in here to make me turn Joe loose?" "Why, they're crazy." "Goll-darned fools." "Chance comes in here with three strangers and tells me to unlock that door." "What do they think I'm gonna do?" "You know what I'm gonna do." "I'm gonna start blasting." "Where'd you get that hat?" "Chance gave it to me, for a souvenir." "For a what?" "Stumpy, we're coming in." "Well, come ahead." "See, he ain't too proud to yell." "Stumpy, where do you keep the deputy-sheriff badges?" "In the right-hand drawer there." "You know where that book is, the one with the oath?" "No!" "If you can't take care of your own truck, don't look for me to do it." "We'll have to do without it." "Raise your right hand." "Do you solemnly swear to take on the duties of a sheriff's deputy..." "Found yourself another knot head who don't know when he's well off?" "...in the County of Presidio of the great State of Texas?" "I do." "And that includes taking orders from me." "All right, Sheriff." "How about giving me one." "Get over to the hotel and pick up your stuff." "Move in here." "What're you laughing about?" "What I got myself in for." "Cheerful about it anyways, ain't he?" "How good do you think he is?" "He's all right." "You think he's as good as Wheeler said he was?" "He threw me my gun, and while it was still in the air, he got one of 'em." " Then he got another one." " Good enough." "Is he as good as I used to be?" "It'd be pretty close." "I'd hate to have to live on the difference." "Then you got the best of it." "Him for me." "What's he talking about, "him for me"?" "Nobody never tells me nothing around here." "He's quitting." "What's got into you?" "Look at me." "Ain't that purty, huh?" "Shaking worse all the time." "What can a man do with hands like that?" "Go ahead." "Tell me, what?" "Take a drink!" "You said Chance told you to." "You did, didn't you, Chance?" "He can take the whole bottle." "Go ahead." "Stumpy, don't close it." "Didn't spill a drop." "Shakes are gone just because of a piece of music." "Till they played that piece, I forgot how I got into this thing." "Keep on playing it." "I don't think I'll ever forget again." "Chance, give me another shot at it." "Stumpy can take the bottle away." "You heard him." ""Bring it out." "Put it back." Nobody ever asks me if I need a drink." "I ain't gonna wait for 'em to ask me 'cause I do." "You two's enough to drive a man to it." "I think I'll go watch the road again, unless you need me for something else." "Did you forget this?" "You could clean up a little." "Yeah, you're a heck of a looking deputy." "I'm better than I look." "I'll do that tonight." "If you think of it, send me some food." "I think I could eat something." "Nothing in his stomach." "Nothing but guts." "You can quit worrying about him and start thinking about me." "We know about him." "He's gonna be all right, but I ain't." "That got my goat." "I can't watch a man get down..." "Where are you going?" "To get Dude something to eat, and you'd better..." "I know." "Get back in my hole." "No, you'd better watch out for Colorado when he comes back." "I forgot to tell him how trigger-happy you are." "We get a good man." "He has to watch you to keep from getting shot full of holes." "Close the window!" "Still talking about that little accident last night." "Never can satisfy him." "That's real purty." "Go on, play some more." "Why don't you play something I can sing with you." "That's a good one." "That's nice." "Ain't it, Chance?" "It's better than being out in the street and getting shot at." "I can't argue with you." "You're right, Stumpy." "Right about what?" "I should have thought of it before." "Thought about what?" "Burdette's shown his hand." "He isn't gonna rush this jail." "Everything he's tried has been outside." "We could sit right here and wait for the Marshal." "Only be three or four days." "How much food you got, Stumpy?" "Enough for all of us?" "Yeah, if you can eat what I eat." "Water and firewood?" "Filled up this morning." "We do need some blankets and tobaccy and matches, unless you got plenty." "He ain't." "And a few bottles of beer, Dude?" "Thanks, Stumpy." "There's another thing, now." "If we're all gonna be in here three or four days, close together like, it might be a good idea if a certain party, not to mention no names, was to do what he said he'd do." "Now, a horse barn's a good place, but it ain't no place for a fellow to roll around in." "All right, Stumpy." "Now, me, I like roses, but this fellow ain't no rose, this fellow I'm talking about." "I'm gonna take a bath." "I said I would." "Dude, I never had no idea you wouldn't." "I was just a-wondering when." "He'll keep talking till we get out of here." "Come on, I'll take a bath while you gather up the stuff." "Yell when you get back 'cause you look different when you're clean." "How you do that?" "It's easy, Carlos." "You just weren't watching." "Carlos, open up." "Coming." "I think it is best to lock the door." "Yeah." "Carlos, I'm sleeping over at the jail tonight." "All of us are." "We'll need some blankets, plenty of tobacco and matches." "And some beer, too." "Feeling better?" "Much better." "That's all you need?" "That's all." "When you get the stuff together, let us know." " I'll be upstairs." " Coming up." "Now, don't make any noise." "Open your mouth." "Hi, Feathers." "Have you got any soap that smells like roses?" "I have some soap, but it doesn't smell like a rose." "Won't do." "Won't do." "Stumpy likes roses." "Who's Stumpy?" "The fella that likes roses." "No, he watches the jail." " Hurry it up." " Right away." "Yeah, what's all this about moving down to the jail?" "Something I should've done two or three days ago." "Are you sorry you didn't?" "Are you?" "I know an easy way of telling you." "Can't you talk plainer than that?" "Chance, give me a towel, will you?" "I'm busy." "What'd you say?" "Somebody's telling me something." "I can't..." "Give me a towel, will you?" "He's a big help." "I'll finish telling you later." "The Dude went in to take a bath." "I couldn't see very good, but I don't think he has his guns." "The Sheriff's upstairs talking to the girl." "He has his guns." "I don't wanna be the one to go up and get him." "Burdette wants him alive." "Then don't talk so loud." "He'll come charging down here with that rifle, and we'll have to kill him." "That might just work." "What?" "The stairs are pretty dark." "We stretch a rope across 'em." "Let him hear something." "Give me that piece of rope." "Come on, give me a hand." "Hurry it up, will you?" "Be right out." "If you're leaving, I might as well get some sleep." "I don't suppose I could come by the jail once in a while and see if you needed anything." "I don't want you any place around there." "I was afraid of that." "That means I won't see you for three or four days." "That's a long time, you know." "You'll live through it." "Yeah, you do the same." "All right, you both better get out there." "You, too, Pedro." "Leave the door open a little." "Get the gag out of her mouth." "Now, lady, we want you to call the Sheriff down here." "No!" "No!" "Maybe this'll help." "Please don't." "Don't!" "He's out cold." "Get upstairs, quick!" "Hold it, Dude." "Watch him." "Just keep coming, lady." "All right, everybody downstairs." "All right, get on your feet." "Come on, get up!" "Can you walk?" "Where are we going?" "That's up to you." "We go over to the jail, and you let Joe go, or we tuck you two away and make a trade with Stumpy." "Take your choice." "You won't make any deal with Stumpy." "You'll just get Joe killed." "Not if he knows we got you two." "They got us." "We're licked." "Go on, take 'em over to the jail, and tell Stumpy to open up and let Joe go." " Are you out of your mind?" " I'm telling you to do it now." "Stumpy couldn't hold out." "He hasn't got any water or food, and he's all alone." "Nobody to get him any water." "He's alone." "Now, go on." "Do it." " Do you know what you're saying?" " I do." "I'm thinking good, too." "Now, do what I tell you." "And after they get Joe, what happens?" "All we want is Joe." "You still think it's a good idea?" "I still think it's good." "We'll go over to the jail." "Take the shells out of his gun." "I unloaded his pistol." "Steve, you and Harry come along with me." "Now, look, Sheriff, we're going out of here natural like." "You carry your gun, and don't do anything to make anybody think something's wrong." "If you have to explain to Stumpy, tell him we put up bail for Joe." "Burdette's got it figured out pretty good." "If it was up to me, you'd have never got up off the floor." "Some of those you killed were friends of mine." "Give him his rifle." "You first." "Hold it." "Yell to Stumpy you're coming in." "We've been watching you." "Stumpy, this is Chance." "It took you long enough." "Steve, cover from out here." "All right, open up." "We're gonna let Joe go." "How come?" "His friends here put up bail." "Give me the keys, then." "They're on your desk there." "I forgot." "Easy." "This fella will talk all right." "Watch him." "I'm going after Dude." "You go along with him." "I'll watch him." "Now, watch yourself." "There's two of 'em holding Dude." "The window." "All right, Colorado." "In here, Señor Chance." "They're gone." "They took Dude a moment ago when they heard the shooting." "They went out the back door." "They had horses." "I heard them." "They're gone all right." "We gonna go after 'em?" "I told Nathan Burdette what'd happen if he came after his brother." "You ought to remember that." "You thought it was funny." "What do you think he'd do if we went after Dude?" "I didn't think." "Looks like the shoe's on the other foot now." "The men who took Dude, they were very angry." "They say Dude set a trap for them." "He sent 'em over there, all right." "He knew what he was doing, knew what Stumpy'd do, too." "That's why they're not happy about it." "What're you gonna do?" "It's what Burdette'll do." "Carlos." "Get a hold of Burdette." "I don't care how." "Tell him I want to talk to him." "Tell him to set the time and the place, but I want to talk to him." "We'll be at the jail." "Aren't you sorry now you didn't get on the stage?" "Come on, Colorado." "Let's wake up the Chinaman again." "Señor Chance, it's me, Carlos." "What's the matter?" "What'd he say?" "He say he don't want to talk to you." "He say if you want Dude back, he'll make a trade." "A trade?" "Dude for Joe." "He'll be in his place over by the creek," " the..." "What's it called?" " Warehouse?" "He'll be there half an hour after sunup." "He'll have Dude." "If you bring Joe, he'll be waiting." "He said to let him know." "Tell him we'll be there." "You're crazy!" "You can't do that." "You couldn't do that even if Dude was your own brother." "What can I do?" "Just what we figured on doing in the first place." "Hole up here till the Marshal gets here." "When the Marshal takes Joe, what'll happen to Dude?" "Dude knew what he was in for when he sent you over here." "I'd like to add my two-cents worth, Sheriff." "Go ahead." "From what I hear, you and Dude are the only witnesses." "Let's say we're the only ones that'll talk." "After Nathan gets Joe back, he's still got to live here, which means you two can't, and if you don't have Joe, what'll stop him?" "The brakes'll be off then." "That ought to be as plain as the nose on your face." "You're right, Colorado, but you and Stumpy didn't see the killing." "I don't think he'll bother you two." " I'm not worried about that." " Me, neither." "You'll just wait for the Marshal to come." "It's a fact he's still gonna want you and Dude." "I'd say so." "You can't get out of town on account of he's got it bottled up." "When you make the trade and get Dude, then Burdette's gonna get the both of you." "After a little argument." "All right, but why at all?" "Why the both of you?" "Dude ought to have a chance." "He won't get one the other way." "Will he?" "Will he?" "You're gonna have me crying." "Fella's gotta be a drunk to get anywhere around here, and I might as well start right now." "Go ahead, Carlos." "Burdette's here." "About time to go." "How about me going ahead, see if they're gonna play any tricks?" "Look out here." "We're drawing quite a crowd." "There won't be any tricks, at least not till we make the trade." "Besides, you're not going." "When you decided to make the trade for Dude, I went along with you." "I'm going along now." "Why?" "Just say I'd like a closer look." "Up to now, I thought you were smart." "Stumpy, you're not going." "Why ain't I going?" "Give me one good reason." "Why?" "I'll give you one." "You've done a good job in here because you haven't had to move around much, but out there, if anything happens, you'll have to move and move fast." "I'd feel better if you weren't there." "It's plain enough." "Old cripples ain't wanted." "You give me a reason." "Do you want that I should bring Joe out, or do you want to do that yourself?" "Bring him out." "I think I'll take along a rifle, some extra shells." "Yeah." "I told you I'd get out of here." "Open your mouth again, and we'll carry you out." "See you, Stumpy." "See you." "That's far enough, Joe." "Through the barn." "Just sit down over there on those grain sacks." "You want a closer look?" "This is close enough." "Take that window." "Watch Joe." "Burdette!" "Burdette!" "Nathan Burdette!" "We're ready." "Joe's here." "We're ready, too." "Start Dude." "I'll start Joe." "Go ahead." "All right, Joe." "You can start walking very slow, and stop if I say stop," "or I'll stop you." "Bring him out." "Go ahead." "Slow." "Look out!" "Do you want me to go help Dude?" "He'll take Joe all right." "He's got a strange way of doing it." "He'll take him." "You're right." "He did." "Hey, Chance, I got Joe." "He can't walk, but I can drag him." "Stay right where you are." "We'll throw you a gun." "I'll do it." "I'm closer." "Wait till we start shooting, Dude, then make a grab for it." "Let's make a little noise, Colorado." "That ought to start something." "It will." "On your left!" "Two of them made it to that shack." "If they get across that creek, we'll be in bad shape." "They'll get behind us." "I don't know how we're gonna stop them from here." "Is that who I think it is?" "Old Stumpy, the fella I left behind." "Señor Chance, don't shoot." "It's me." "Carlos, what are you doing here?" "I bring you some more shells." "You might need them, señor." "Who'll turn up next?" "Maybe the girl with another flower pot." "Chance, Stumpy's sitting in a bad place." "That wagon's got dynamite in it." "I go tell him, señor." "You stay here." "I'll go get him." "Give me those shells." "Stumpy, get out of there." "No." "Come on, I got a front seat." "It's a good one." "You got a good seat, all right." "That's wagon's full of dynamite." "Jumping Jehoshaphat." "Why don't nobody never tell me nothing?" "Get away from that wagon, or you won't be around to hear anything." "Stumpy, hurry up!" "What are you doing?" "What do you think I'm doing?" "Taking a siesta?" "I brung us some dynamite." "That's a good idea." "Let's get farther away from that wagon." "Can you shoot as good as you say you can?" " Can you throw?" " Near as far as you can shoot." "We'll find out." "Get that box open." "Dude!" "Over here." "Get ready." "Let her go!" "That was a good one." "Stop cackling." "Get one a little farther out there." "There you go again!" "What would you do if I wasn't throwing 'em for you?" "I'd throw 'em myself." "Yeah, I guess you would at that." "You ready?" "Let her go." "Dude, how do you like them apples?" "That's all right." "Throw one for me." "Go ahead, but throw it harder this time." "There you go again." "You never can satisfy you." "Throw it!" "Here you are, Dude." "Took you two." "I didn't allow for the wind." "Can't you throw 'em any farther than you have been?" "Course I can if you wanna blow the whole place down." "That's the general idea." "Throw it!" "Don't shoot." "We've had enough." "That got 'em." "That took the fight out of 'em." "Look at 'em quit." "Sure is quiet out there." "Did you find anything?" "There isn't a Burdette man left in town outside those who got locked up." "The rest of 'em all cleared out." "We won't have any trouble." "You're welcome." "Thank you." "What do you wanna do about those fellas?" "Want to take 'em to Presidio now, or wait for the Marshal?" "We'll wait for the Marshal." "Wait for the Marshal?" "I'm glad you agree, since you have to cook for 'em and watch 'em." "That ain't the way I said it." "I said, "Wait for the Marshal?"" "And that's a question." "I'm fed up feeding 'em, and I ain't gonna watch 'em, neither." "I've been sitting back there so long in the dark that I feel like a gopher or a burrowing owl or something." "When I went outside today, couldn't hardly see in the daylight." "I'll watch it for you if you wanna go out." " Would you?" " Sure." "I guess it's dark enough, I can go outside now, it wouldn't hurt my eyes none." "I don't think it would." "Maybe get myself slicked up a smidge and have a drink." "It wouldn't hurt me, either." "I don't think it would." "Should I go?" "Go ahead." "Go ahead." " You ain't gonna give me a argument?" " No." "Don't care whether I go or not." " Chance." " Yeah?" "Have you seen that girl yet?" "I said, have you seen that girl yet?" "No, I..." "The job." "Didn't have time." "The Fort Worth stage is in." "They run at night." "Should be leaving soon." "You mean she's going on it?" "I don't know." "I don't think you do, either, but if it was me, I'd find out." "I wouldn't walk around wondering about it." "She might be leaving, and she might not." "She might need a little help making up her mind." "But you're the expert." "Me, I don't know anything about women." "Next thing, you'll be telling me you don't remember one." "A man forgets." "Sometimes it isn't easy." "Something happens, he just forgets." "In case you're interested, I have." "I don't even want a drink." "It's about time." "I was getting awful tired of taking care of you." "If you want to jump in, I'll take care of you." "What is this now, you're gonna take care of him?" " Tell me about it." " Sheriff's got himself a girl." "Shut up." "We ain't gonna go through that again, are we?" "You gonna do the same thing Dude done?" "Keep still." "Why don't somebody tell me these things?" "Where you going?" "Let him go, Stumpy." "No fooling, has the Sheriff got himself a girl?" "I think so, but he doesn't know it yet." "She got him on the run?" "She sure has." "I can just see him, laying down the law to her." ""I told you to get back in there!"" "And then getting told off himself." "Señor Chance, everything is all right?" "I am so happy." "Thank you, Consuela." "You look for the girl?" "She's in there." "No got time, hah!" "Hi, John T." "Just a second while I get my shoe tied." "There." "It's all over, isn't it, John T?" "Where'd you get those things?" "I wore them the last place I worked." "Why are you wearing them now?" "Tonight's a big night." "Consuela thought a little entertainment might help." "I'm gonna do a song." "You need a rig like that to sing?" "You haven't heard me sing." "My legs aren't so bad." "Consuela thought these tights might help, but you don't like them." " I didn't say that I didn't like them." " You don't want me to wear them." "I didn't say that, either." "Is it because they show so much of me?" "They certainly do that." "You're a stubborn man, John T." "Sometimes I know what you're thinking, and other times, you just can't make up your mind about me, can you?" "You like what you see." "You like kissing me." "You like what you touch, but you decided in the beginning what kind of a girl I was, and I haven't helped much." "I wore these before I met you." "I wanted you to know it, to know what kind of a girl you were getting." "I wanted you to get that funny look on your face, and tell me not to wear them, but it didn't work." "You didn't even get mad." "I told you once you wouldn't have to say anything, that I'd know, but I don't know," "so you're gonna have to talk." "I'm hard to get, John T. You're gonna have to say you want me." "Where are you going?" "Downstairs." "You'd better not." "Why had I better not?" "Because I'm still sheriff." "You wear those things in public, I'll arrest you." "John T." "I've waited so long for you to say that." "I thought you were never..." "You have the funniest way of saying things." "Just when I think you're gonna say one thing..." "All right, get those darn things off." "I'll wait outside." "No, you don't have to go." "I can use this screen." "Besides, I want you to stay here 'cause the other thing is all over now, isn't it?" "I'm trying to hurry, but I'm all thumbs." "What I had to go through!" "Put on these tights, ask a lot of questions, start to walk out." "I thought you were never gonna say it." "Say what?" "That you loved me." "I said I'd arrest you." "It means the same thing." "You know that." "You just won't say it." "We're different." "I'll have to get used to you." "Me, I just talk all the time." "You most certainly do." "You'll get used to that." "You'll have to." "Either that or start talking, too." "Tell me something." "These tights, now why didn't you want me to wear them?" "Because I didn't want anybody but me to see you in them." "I like that." "You're getting better already." "Shall I save them and wear them just for you?" "Do you think I'll ever get to be a sheriff?" "Not unless you mind your own business."