"Am I addressing Jamie Hedges?" "Yes, sir." "Sergeant Harknett, Union Cavalry." "Call off your dog, boy." "Or I'll do it for you." "Well, we served with your brother, Josiah." "Well, I seen you coming, I..." "I figured he'd be with you." "I'm afraid... he's not with anyone on this mortal plane." "If you take my meaning." "Oh, hey." "My condolences." "I reckon I... appreciate you coming all the way out here just to tell me." "Well, son, your brother's demise isn't the only reason we're here." "Fine a man as he was..." "Josiah was also what we might colloquially refer to as a piss-poor poker player." "Night before he died, he racked up a $500 debt to me." "Next hand he said, "Double or nothing,"" "and... well... three aces don't beat a flush." "Well, not where I come from." "Now, it's likely in a gilt jewel box." "About this size." "Be a dear boy and go rustle that up." "And we'll leave you to mourn your brother." "You're a liar!" "Is that so?" "I know who your daddy is." "Son of a... rich senator riding all this way for a thousand dollars?" "How about this, then?" "Find us the fucking box." "Doggone." "You bastards!" "Are you gonna let a gimpy kid talk to you like that, Merritt?" "I don't let you talk to me like that." "Stand up, son." "Son..." "I said... stand up." "Now, if you want to keep that bum knee of yours, you best tell me where the box is!" "Go to hell." "I think that was the good one, Merritt." "I'll..." "I'll show you." " I'll show you." " What's that?" "I'll show you." "Well, that'd be right nice of you." "A little civility... goes a long way." "Graves!" "Cobb!" "Go get the box." "Say we do find his box, Merritt." "What about Josiah?" "Hmm?" "As long as he's out there alive... he's a liability." "I think... with some prompting... we can get him to find us." "You get some kerosene." "This thing ain't near done yet." "Pow!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Fresh-dug grave." "Empty town." "Got to confess, Reverend, it's not exactly a warm welcome." "I might've spoke too soon." "Too much is more like it." "Silence is golden... says so in the Bible." "It also says that a feller turned to salt, but I have my doubts." "You new in town?" "I just got in." "Heard they run a nice, upright place." "You want a hand?" "Thanks." "I can grease my own axle." "Yep, you know, for being upright, these folks are kind of hard to spot." "Obliged." "You got a name?" "Yep." "He should've turned to hard liquor." "Say again?" "The fella who turned to salt." "Picked the wrong cure." "Come on." ""Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness;" "according to the multitude of thy mercies do away with mine offenses."" ""Behold,"" ""I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my mother conceived me." "Turn thy face from my sins." "Amen."" "Amen." "What's the matter, stranger, didn't you see the sign?" "You're supposed to hand in your rifle at the sheriff's office." "Well, the sheriff's busy." "I'll wait." "He's hanging somebody." "Hand it over." "Tell your friend that I'll stow my rifle soon as I reckon" "I won't need it." " I ain't gonna ask you twice." " Oh, boy." "Tell your friend... that I got me a rule about folks pointing guns at me." "First time I let 'em off with a warning." "Only ever give 'em one." "After that..." "Hey." "You want this?" "That's right." "I want it right fucking now." "Well, I'm gonna make you a deal." "Now, I can't see giving it all to you, but you're sure welcome to a percentage." "That changes the conversation altogether." "I got him, Big Bill!" " Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." " Huh?" "There any reason you shouldn't be next?" "Fella pulled a gun on me." "Self-defense." "That what you want to tell the judge?" "When I see him." "You're seeing him right now." "Judge and sheriff?" "Wasn't enough that they named the town after you, huh?" "This town was named after my father." "Well, that's pretty funny, your pa being named Hate." "What's your name?" "Hedges." "Hedges." "I'm gonna make you a deal, Hedges." "You accept my offer... and I'll accept your plea." " What offer?" " Be my new deputy." "Why me?" "'Cause you just shot my last one." "Well, I gotta... make a living, I'll give you that." "Oh, and, Hedges?" "There is a sign." "It gently reminds folks to check their weapons at the city limits." "I must have missed that one." "It's large." "So's the sun, but I tend not to stare at it." "Deputy Bean here's gonna show you the ropes." "Speaking of which..." "Let's do it again!" "This time, make the drop shorter." "Rope is dear." "No sense wasting it." "Hey?" "This is not a bad town if you play by the rules." "We understand each other, Mr. Hedges?" "Y'all might want to get a new grave digger." "I've seen gopher holes neater." "Sheriff does it all himself." "He likes to think he takes care of folks before and after they walk these streets." "Won't lie to you, Mr. Hedges." "You know, every town has its black marks." "Just ours are in plain sight." "Underground Railroad used to run through here." "Negroes would pay in gold for transport." "About four years back, fella running the underground..." "He realizes he ain't gonna turn a profit on the deal." "So he takes their gold, he locks 'em in, and he burns the place down." "Mostly, he just burned them slaves." "Like I said, every town's got a secret." "That's ours." " Bam!" " Whoops." "Best give Junior there the rundown." "About pointing guns at you." "Don't be scared, Jamie." "It's only scary if it's loaded, and this here..." "It ain't loaded." "Hey, you all right?" "Look like you got the blue devils." "I'm all right." "I've just been riding a while is all." "Like to see about getting a room." "Oh, I'll..." "I'll show you." "This is Benny." "He works here at the Last Drop Saloon." "I hope the name don't mean they ran out of beer." "Here you go, Mr. Edge." "Oh." "Uh, guess... guess you can't hold your liquor, huh?" "It belongs to a fella I'm looking for." "Yeah." "Can I see that?" "Yeah." "Oh, that's good art." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Hold on, don't go nowhere." "There you go." "I..." "I can't remember the last time anybody gave me any money." "I..." "I work for room and board?" "Just make sure they fix up my horse." "Yes, sir." "Okay." "Real soon now, Jamie." "I reckon there's five, all told." "And I'm gonna send 'em your way, one-by-one, or all in a bunch." "Don't matter to me." "And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." "I should have known they'd come." "Soon now." "Say, Hedges, there's a..." "Whoa!" "Uh..." "Uh, there's, um..." "You ready to go to work?" "'Cause there's a couple beers with our names on 'em downstairs." "Oh." "Just my kind of work." "Evening, Deputy Bean." "You're looking dapper tonight." "Well, there's some whores of a different color." " Howdy, fellas." " Ma'am." "Pot calling the kettle, coming from a paid gunman." "Don't you think, Mr. Hedges?" "Well, here I thought you was a good Christian woman." "Oh, well, you never know." "I bare my chest, who's to say you won't see a big gold crucifix?" "Well, that'd be your cross to bare, then, wouldn't it?" "Like I said, nice, upright town." "For my line of work." " Five bucks?" " Only make $2.50 a day." " Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then." " See you tomorrow." "Okay." "On the house, deputies." "I pay my own way." "So, uh, about that fella." "You know, the one they hanged?" "Spitting in the street." "You want to know what they hanged him for." "Spitting in the street." "That's a capital offense around here, is it?" "It is if you do it when the sheriff's passing by." "Well, he thinks a lot of himself, don't he?" "Who's the boy?" "Little Bill." "All grown up now." "War hero." "Is that so?" "Expecting him home any day now." "You planning a big homecoming, are you?" "Like I said, war hero..." "Big deal, town this size." "Speak of the devil." "That's, uh, Little Bill's wife." " Pilar." " I..." " I made you a picture, Miss Pilar." " Hands off." " Is that a warning?" " That's our job." " Every night, just like clockwork." " Whiskey." "Cyrus over here is under strict orders not to serve the lady, so she makes eyes with any out-of-towners." "Things get ugly." "That's where we step in." "You should go handle that." " It don't look ugly to me." " Not yet." "The lady is spoken for." "Okay, then." "You sure you weren't a little hard on 'em?" "They'll get over it." "No touch." "You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen." "Excuse me." "Maybe I wasn't clear." "I said the woman ain't interested." "That so?" "Let's ask her." "What do you say, Mex?" "Let's take this outside." "Let's take it here!" "Just to let you fellas know." "There's certain nomenclature that I take umbrage at on account of my pa being Mexican." "Ma'am." "You know, maybe I should have handled that." "Aah!" "Damn it!" "Pinkerton National Detective Agency, 10 Washington Street, Chicago." "Message as follows." ""Apprise Mr. Harknett," "Hedges is alive and in Seward." "Last Drop Hotel."" ""Will continue to monitor for item in question."" "That's all." "Hey." "Oh, hey, hey, take it easy." "Take it easy." "Oh, no." "Shh, shh, shh, shh." " Mr. Edge?" " Now listen, Benny." "I figured that it's time that we have us a little chat about... about Little Bill." "I..." "I done..." "I done fixed up your horses, uh..." "You know the picture that you made the lady?" "Now, you did a swell job with the scar, ran east-west across Little Bill's chin, right?" "Now, see, the only problem is, is that I was there when he got that scar." "Battle of Manassas." "And I don't recall seeing you there." "Now, Benny, that sketch is two days old." "I'm gonna ask you again." "Where is he?" "Good man." "¿Puedo ayudarte?" "Oh, Lordy." "You know, uh," "I've seen flimsier locks at Camp Sumter." "Evening, Sergeant Hedges." "Now, I'd set that thing on the ground right now." "Go on." "There you go." "Now, you and I both know why you're here." "My son sent me a wire, said you might come looking for him." "Well, unfortunately, he ain't here." "But... as you can see, his pretty little wife is." "Now," "I tell you what, it'd be well worth your while." "What do you say?" "I'll just sit over there and watch, if it's all the same to you." "You do this for all your deputies?" "No." "Just the ones I like." "No, it's a peace offering." "Not my style." "Now, you see, there's gratitude for you." "I gave you a damn job today." "I could've put three rounds in your heart." "Well, your generosity knows no rounds, I get it." "Pilar." "Go on." "Come on." "See that?" "Bootlips done that, Negroes." "When they weren't hiding in the cellar, they was up here painting." "Painting and painting." "Pilar... every day she lights a candle for 'em." "And every night I snuff it out." "Her way of being rebellious, I suppose." "Something special about you, son." "Most folks are evil." "You're evil, but you got principles." "I like that." "When that yap of yours is in danger of making a point, wake me." "I'm coming up on something, Hedges." "I'll be moving some precious cargo." " You want a hired gun?" " A bodyguard, more like it." "And what I'm saying..." "If you can find it in your heart to forgive my son for whatever the hell he done to you," "I could use a man like you." "Who the hell fired those shots?" "!" "They came from back at the livery, Sheriff!" "Son of a bitch." "Shh." "It was Benny who fired the shots." "I asked him to, so we can talk without Bill knowing." "You... you have to help me." " Help you what?" " Get away from here." " Away from him." " Lady, look, no offense, but I came here to kill your husband." "So whatever you got going on between you and Papa Bill," " whatever it is," " Please, señor... forget it." "Even if it's about gold, tarado?" "You know about the Underground Railroad." "There's talk that the gold never left, that it's hidden somewhere near the church." "Big Bill's been looking for years now." "I think Benny knows where it is." "I asked him to make keys for me." "He gave me this." "I'll be damned." "So that's why Big Bill hangs people for spitting." "He needs bodies to bury so he can dig for gold." "Without anyone knowing, yes." "We find it, we leave." "Simple." "Hey." "Yesterday, the deputy you killed," "I know what you did." "You put him against the sky so no one in the crowd would get hit." "You changed your aim." "That's just how it turned out." "I do not believe that." "I think there is good in you." "And I can see it." "Get some glasses, sister." "You take what you can have for free?" "Drag me to the fucking alley." "Kill him, Big Bill!" "Culero." "Kill him." "This is a conundrum, isn't it?" "What are you pulling?" "You trying to get me strung up?" "You'll think of something." "Something that frees us both, huh, cariño?" "I have no words." "No words!" "In fact," "I'm thinking I might not be the right one to pass judgment for such a heinous crime." "What do you think, son?" "Why, I think we should hang him, Pa." "Mm." "Takes after his dad." "Look at that baby." ".44-caliber Henry Rimfire." "28 rounds a minute, I heard." "What do you think about that?" "I think the sheriff would like to add this one to his collection." "Good night." "Night." "Hedges." "Benny calls me Edge." "I'm starting to cotton to it." "Where is he..." "Little Bill?" "How the fuck would I know?" "Lady, I ain't no fiddle, so why are you playing me?" "Tell me why it's so important to Big Bill that I rape you." "Why?" "Because... because he did." "That's why." "So that's that bump that you're hiding underneath that thing." "He needed you alive." "A day or two." "Enough for people to believe you could have done this." "Why pin it on me?" "Little Bill's been back." "Why not just say he did it?" "He... cannot..." "You know." "And everybody knows that?" "You know how it is." "Small town." "Gift from Benny?" "There is more." "If we find it, we leave, Hedges." "We go anywhere." "Lady, you ain't listening." "I just got here." "Benny." "We have to talk." "Listen to me, Benny." "The gold you give me sometimes, where do you get it?" "It's, uh... i... it's mine." "Oh, I think it is the slaves' gold, Benny." "The one the sheriff wants." "Little Bill told me he thinks your papa stole it." "P..." "Papa was a... a blacksmith." "And he smelted that gold to hide it, no?" "Did he not, Benny?" "Where is the gold, Benny?" " Where is it?" " I don't..." "I don't know." " He didn't tell me." " You're lying!" "I don't think so." "If he'd tell anyone, it'd be you." "But she's right about your pa, now, isn't she, Benny?" "He melted the gold down and hid it." "I don't..." "I don't know where he hid it." " I..." "I just got some." " Some?" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Oh, now, there's no need to be ashamed, Benny." "You got a right to bear arms." "What do you say, fellas?" "It's hotter than a fistfight out there." "Still, not a bad day for a hanging, though, isn't it?" "What do you think, Mr. Hedges? I ought to be getting back, Mr. Edge." "Stay with me, Benny." "Keep me company." "Figured you'd be here." "Best place to get a clean shot." "Well, I figured you'd figure." "That's why I brought 15 rounds." "Hey, I ain't gonna stop you." "I held up my end." "He's gonna be at it all day, slothful little fuck." "Is gold worth more than your own son?" "Well, a man's got to prioritize, doesn't he?" "Go on." "Take your shot." "I'm not sure he's my kid anyway." "28 rounds a minute, I heard." "I think the sheriff would like to add this one to his collection." "Weight's off!" "I pull the trigger...?" "Life becomes interesting." "Boys!" "Benny." "You missing something?" "He thinks you know where the gold is at." "Only reason you're here is because he's trading you for a clean shot at my son." "But you knew that, right?" "Is that... that true, Mr. Edge?" "Got to thank you." "'Cause if the idiot here was there when his daddy was smelting all of that slave gold, if that's how he lost his arm... he's the link I've been missing." "You should've never... rode into Hate, sir." "Oh!" "Finish it." "Oh!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Aah!" "Go after that son of a bitch!" "No!" "Stop him!" "Hey, I'm gonna see how dead he is." "Careful." "Deputy." "Cutting a swath through my deputies, aren't you?" "We're gonna go now." "You can slow-roast out there or you can drown." "I don't care much which." "I like the simplicity of it." "We'll leave you to it." "Oh... thanks for the Henry." "Josiah..." "Josiah." "I reckon I..." "I came back to make amends." "I know I..." "I can't bring back your brother." "No, but you got to know it wasn't me." "That was Harknett." "And I want you to know it was an honor serving with you." "Now, maybe in another life... we could be friends again." "I'll see you across the river." "Found him up at the north end of the valley, Sheriff." "Horse done died right out from under him." "I liked that horse." "Aw, crap." "The hell am I gonna do with you?" "We need to have a little talk, you and I." "Why don't you just tell me where you got my gold hid?" "Or do I have to burn some more Negro?" "Your throat or that door." "Don't matter to me which opens first." "Where is that thing?" "Shit." "You got that Henry fixed up?" "Right here, Sheriff." "Big Bill Seward?" "Sheriff Seward to you." "Sergeant Harknett," "Union Cavalry." "I respect your service, I surely do." "But the war's over, last time I checked." "That it is, Sheriff, that it is." "I expect that means Little Bill's around here somewhere." "You know my son?" "We know his son?" "My, my." "I guess you got a short memory, Sheriff." "I rode through here and recruited him when he was scarce 15." "Before you had that winsome cane of yours." "Hey, that's true, Pa." "You know, this here's my squad." "Indeed we are." "Oh, save one of us." "Josiah Hedges." "Heard of him, Sheriff?" "Heard of him?" "I seen him dead four days ago." "He's laid out before the buzzards, good and proper." "Listen, we got a little, uh, regulation in this town about carrying sidearms." "Now, if you all would abide by that, I'd be honored to buy you and your boys a drink, soon as I'm done with my business here." "Obliged, Sheriff." "But we'll be keeping our firearms, if it's all the same to you." "Now..." "Well... see, that's what I'm talking about." "Changes the conversation altogether." "Look out!" "Get out of the way!" "Whoa, whoa, easy!" "Hyah!" "Aah!" "Huh?" "Hijo de puta." "It's Josiah!" "Run!" "Come on!" "Aah!" "Shit!" "Get to your room." "Stay out of sight." "You son of a bitch." "Forgot your training, Sergeant?" "Never take higher ground if you don't got a fallback." "Oh, Jesus!" "Aah!" "Help me!" "Hi, friend." "Toss out your gun... and your pack." "Do it or I'll kill the kid." "What kid?" "This one." "Oh, yeah..." "Little Bill told me all about it." "She'll likely bleed out fast." "Mm-hmm." "But I promise the snapper'll go quick." "Bye-bye, baby." "Toss it!" "Thank you." "Josiah, you got something I want." "Tell me where the box is and... people keep breathing." "Oh, you should've heard your baby brother holler." "We put green wood under him." "Burned real slow, it did." "So did he." "Edge, look out!" "Fuck!" "Shit!" "No!" "Shit!" "Aah!" "Fuck!" "Aw, fuck!" "No!" "Hey!" "Aw, sh..." "Hedges!" "Stop him!" "He is getting away!" "Edge!" "Hey, Edge!" "Aah!" "Too much lawlessness, son!" "Don't come back!" "Things gonna change around here!" "Oh, I reckon there'll be some change... on account of I just broke a Big Bill." "Whew!" "Things were status quo around here until you came back from the war, Little Bill." "This here situation... we reckon it's a message from God!" "Oh, that so?" "And what's he advocating?" "Don't move, son." "Get off!" "Get off!" "Hey, easy there." "You're a fucking mess." "Stay down." "I said stay down." "Shit." "And you're not just a lady of the light, are you, Pinkerton?" "I saw you at the telegraph office." "I didn't figure you was wiring your sweetie." "Well, if you're gonna throttle me, you could at least buy me a drink first." "Tell you one thing, you sure put your foot in a beehive." "Harknett clan half runs this country... oil, coal." "They don't have it, they buy it." " Did they buy you?" " Fuck you." "I'm helping you, aren't I?" "Tell me something." "Killing that horse and then... killing Benny." "Did it feel any different to you?" "All right, then." "If you did see a gilt jewel box..." "I don't suppose you'd tell me about it, would you?" "I've seen... plenty of guilt." "But I ain't seen your box." "Well... we ain't never had that date yet, did we?" "You forgetting something?" "You're welcome." "The stranger!" "The stranger's coming!" " And he's got his rifle!" " Yeah, come on!" "Hurry it up!" "Hurry it up!" "Come on!" "Don't let him get me!" "Don't let him get me!" "Please!" "If you see him, you just shoot me first before you take a shot at him!" "Git." "It's on me." "J... just do it, do it." " Git!" " He's mine!" "I'm taking Little Bill." "And I'll take a few more with him, don't matter to me." "Don't shoot!" "He's still... my husband." "Fuck him." "Y'all get out of here!" "Aah!" "Sorry I'm late, gentlemen." "I just got back from a very small town." "I was there once, long ago, and..." "I can't say as I liked the changes." "Mr. Harknett." "Thanks." "Had a bath yesterday." "Yep." "Should've seen it, folks." "Negroes... everywhere." "In the stables." "In the restaurants." "Unchaperoned." "I mean, one even drew pictures and sold 'em." " That's preposterous!" " That's right." "It's a sad day for these 37 United States." "I have in my hand a letter, pledging money and allegiance to form a new and methodical uprising of the former Confederate states." " The South will rise again!" " Look... we all know you have a powerful daddy, and we all respect that." "It's just that, uh..." "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you wear the Union uniform?" "Sure." "Same reason you wear a suit to church." "Or go out of town to fuck your mistress." " I beg your pardon?" " Appearances." "I mean, hell," "I got a family business to inherit... not to mention, typically, I pick a winner." "And, uh... till now, the Confederacy was not it." "Well, let's face it, gentlemen." "You needed a "no rules" approach." "You needed savages." "I can bring you savages." "And very soon I will have in my possession... a box containing a certain artifact." "Let's call it a "sacred relic,"" "because it will guarantee the cooperation of a new and unprecedented ally." "And who would that be, sir?" "Why, the Apache Nation, of course." "The Apache what?" "!" "Sergeant... with all due respect, aren't you being a bit, uh, indiscreet?" "We're not exactly alone here, if you get my meaning." "Thanks for reminding me." "Sir?" "Oh, God..." "What?" "No hookers at a strategy meeting." "I just got back from a very small town." "Hmm." "I was there once." "Long ago." "And I assure you... it was a better place then."