"THE ROUNDERS" " Howdy, boys." "Good morning." " Mr. Love." "That's the rough string?" " They ain't so rough." " Then why is he all tangled up?" " He's new." " He'll never be old." "Wait." "I've hired you to tame them." " We just quit." " They won't cause you any trouble." "One or two might run out of rank, but most of them are already broken." "Take that blaze-face roan there." "I bet he's been rode 1,000 miles." " Some saddlings will calm him down." " You should have your eyes tested." "See the healed-over spur marks?" "That means trouble." "He'll cripple a good cowboy." "He'll make a good rope pony." "Just get that tallow melted down,   and I'll probably want him for the old lady and the kids to ride." "I'm paying more than I did last year." " How much?" " Say five dollars a head?" " Seven." " Six." " Your new man can do it for that." " Say six and a half?" " Seven." " Say seven." "Get the men out, and let that string settle down." "You boys pick up your rigs and walk away." "I'm glad you're back." "I told my wife this morning " " I want to get started, but I haven't heard from Ben and Howdy   since I bailed them out of jail." " You got your bail back." " And we're not your old friends." "How can you say that?" "You've worked here for years." " Doesn't that mean anything to you?" " Money." "Just like I said, boys." "Gentle as a milk-pen calf." " See you around in a few days." " I wonder why people call him Love." "Maybe it's because he's so clean." " Tailor-made suits, nice boots ..." " Pays less than any man I know." " Like now, for instance." " Yeah, like now." "You must have been a mean son buck when you were young." "This horse is a damn cannibal!" "Let me have him." "Got a good rein on him." "Maybe Ed Love wasn't putting us on." "Maybe this job won't be so tough." "You all right, Ben?" "I'm fine." "Rise and shine." "Breakfast." "How do you feel?" "I feel like taking an axe to that roan." "Just like Jim Ed to leave us here with a pen full of spoiled horses." "A sharp axe." " I wish I was back wrangling dudes." " Whatever made you quit?" "A woman." " A woman from back east." "Toy Smith." " That's a mighty pretty name." "A mighty pretty woman." "I was working near Phoenix." "One of those fancy spreads for rich folks from back east." " They had hot springs all around." " Kind of like swimming pools." "I took the dudes for moonlight rides among the cactus." "Then I'd cook a meal on the campfire and play the guitar and sing." " You sing?" " I just run some words together." "It seems this Toy Smith thought I was a great primitive singer." " What's that?" " Primitive!" "I don't know." "At night when I finished, Toy waited for me to go swimming." "She was some swimmer." "And float ..." "She looked like a mountain range!" "That Toy followed me everywhere." "At dances she'd waltz me all night." "I couldn't see around her with 40 pounds of her over my head." " I could just hold on and pray." " She was rich and you passed it up?" "Not exactly." "Things happened to ..." "alter the course of true love." "Somebody else liked my singing." "This other girl was half as big and twice as pretty." "One night I sent Toy to bed." "I told her I had to shoe a horse." " At night?" "Who'd believe that?" " Toy would." "At least I thought so." "I went for a swim with this girl." "I never thought Toy would do it." "She came at me with a hammer." " Did she catch you?" " See any holes in my skull?" "I lit out for Phoenix and never looked back." "Sometimes I wish I'd stayed and faced Toy instead." "If she just hadn't been so damn fat." " Eat up." "I'll start working." " That suits me fine." "Ben ..." " Why do you keep working here?" " I'm saving up to buy a boat." "I'll find a place with no grass, because there won't be any horses." " They'll cripple a man soon enough." " You think you'll ever make it?" "I'll make it." "That roan's thrown you six times, and you're trying him today?" "I have to." "He's gaining on me." "That tears it." "I'll take your horse." "I'll be right back." " You said you'd be right back." " Time flies." "I hate to to do this, horse, but that was the last straw." "Howdy, start the truck." "I'll run over this knot-head." "He tried to kill me, I'll kill him." "You just watch and see." "I'll go way back and get a good run at him." "He'll never know what hit him." "That's one way to break a horse." "Ben, watch out!" " You all right, Ben?" " I'm fine." "Just fine." " That's the last of them." " 20 heads in four days ain't bad." "That is." " How's it coming?" " I was just going to bring them in." "I was going to wait, but I couldn't." "You'll get a chance of a lifetime." " The chance to earn lots of money." " Pay no attention to him." "Up at winter camp, 200 strays have gone wild." "I want you to spend the winter there gathering that stock." "It's high up, but that's no problem." "Besides, it will be like a vacation." "Just pay us our wages for now, and we'll be on our way." "And I'll pay five dollars a head for all you gather in." "Think about it." "Did you ever hear anything like it?" "What do you say?" "I say six dollars." " Seven." " Well, say seven." "Here's enough money to buy your winter grub." "I'll keep what's coming to you." "You can pick it up in the spring." "You'll need a wheelbarrow to haul it away." "By the way ..." "Bring that rough string along and work them." "Sore backs and tender hoofs, that makes gentle horses." "Be seeing you come spring, fellows." "Howdy, it comes to me we're not the smartest cowboys who ever lived." "You could say that." "Who's coming?" "It's Ben and Howdy." "I bet there's not a rabbit within five miles of this place." " Howdy, Ben." " Where's your pa?" "He went into town to get some whiskey mash." " Where are you headed?" " To the high country." "For Jim Love." " He's starving to death." " Can you stay for supper?" " That suits us fine." " Pitch the horses some hay." " Much obliged." " Ben, it's good to see you again." "You too, Meg." "That's what I call real neighborly girls." "I'd say that if their pa didn't make the best moonshine in the county." "Coffee, Ben?" " Your daughters are growing up." " I should have had boys." "Women are no help." "They can't fix the windmill." "We used to have two windmills back home, but we tore one down." " There wasn't enough wind for two." " You're pulling my leg." "How's Jim Ed?" "How much did his calves weigh out this year?" " Around 400 pounds each." " I had no calves to ship this year." "Business has been plumb bad." "Nobody drinks anymore." "We do." " Would you care for a snort?" " That suits us fine." "Keep your eye on old Blue." "Watch the steps." "Get out of there." "Some people can make clothes, some can make lots of money,   but nobody makes better whiskey than you, Vince Moore." " More?" " I don't mind if I do." "Next." "Howdy, can I talk to you man to man?" "Shoot." "How did you get the name Howdy?" " I made it up." " You did?" " Why?" " Marion." "That was my given name." "Marion Lewis." "You can't ride bucking horses with that name, so I changed it." "I even had it drawn up and sworn at to make it legal." "Now, no matter where I go or who I meet,   first thing they do is say "howdy."" " Makes me feel that they know me." " You have a friendly streak in you." "Speaking of being friendly ..." "Did you see that blaze-faced roan we brought in today?" " It was the first thing I noticed." " Ever seen such a running walk?" "It did seem he moved easily." "I'd say it has the best rein of any horse I have ever rode." " That, if nothing else." " What do you mean?" "It runs faster than a jackrabbit and stops when you want it to." "Can I have a little more of that wonderful stuff?" "A horse like that would be just fine for a little outfit like this." "You could work cattle with him ..." "And you could also just ride him for pure ... pleasure." "Something else, too." "When your dogs go after a coyote,   you want to be there for the kill so badly ..." " Isn't that right?" " Sure." "I'd kill him with my hands." " With that roan you'd be there." " But he's not my horse." "You're wrong." "For a slight consideration ..." " I'll give him to you." " I haven't got a dime to my name." "You didn't think I was asking for money, did you?" " Didn't I?" " No, all I want is just ..." "Just eight jugs of that wonderful stuff of yours." " I don't know ..." " It'll be a long winter." "And a dry one." "Listen ..." "You could catch that son of a buck one hour before sunrise,   and be there when the dogs put the bite on him." " What do you say?" " I'll do it." " I'll drink to that." " So will I." "Home!" "That high country is where we'll find most of the strays." "All straight up and down, and covered with buckthorn." " We have to dig some ditches." " I bet the water tower's leaking." " We have to fix that corral fence." " And cut wood to keep warm." " We could be in Sedona in two days." " Think of the back wages we'll get." "I wish I wasn't so damn greedy." " We have ten that won't get away." " We have more than that." "Look." "Vince." "Good to see you so soon." "Did you fix your windmill?" " How's your girls?" " How's business?" "Any customers?" " How's your hounds?" " Howdy." " I want my whiskey back." " You must be kidding." "I am like hell." "The first time I went hunting I was there, right behind the hounds." " That's good." " No." "The horse ran right past the coyote." "I didn't even see the fight." "It was three miles before he turned." "Then it was all over." "Just a little patch of gray left." "Next morning I saddled him up and walked him around,   and just when I thought everything was fine, it happened." "He bucked me off and ate my whiskey mash." " A spirited horse gets hungry." " Then I tried to plow with him." " How did he work?" " Work?" "He ran off with the plow!" "Tore out 200 yards of good posts and barbed wire." "I've spent two days fixing it, and I want my whiskey back!" "I can't understand it." "He never gave me any trouble." "Why not?" "Now please, just this one time ..." "Don't buck, huh?" "See?" " Where have you been?" " Out there in the bog." " Where's Vince?" " He left with his wonderful stuff." " Was he still mad?" " He hoped the roan would kick you." "It's going to be a long dry winter." "All right." "Out!" "What the hell are you doing here?" "There's not a hen within 40 miles." "You can say that again." "TAHITI" "How many more heads do you think are still left?" "By the tracks, I'd say at least 100." "We'll just barely get out of here in time to make the rodeo in Sedona." "I've thought about that." "Are you sure you'll make it to Tahiti?" "I'll make it." "Will you still open up that saloon with girls in grass skirts?" "I'll drink all day and hula all night." "How can they quiver like that without something coming off?" "Good night." "The way that old roan keeps throwing me ..." "You think maybe I'm losing my touch?" "Ben ..." "You're not losing your touch." " 67, 68, 69, 70." " All mother cows and fat calves." " What's wrong with that?" " That mountain is hard to climb." "There's nothing up there but long-legged steers and bulls." " Our horses aren't fast enough." " We've got one that is." " Forget it." " There's probably 50 strays left." "You can talk all you want." "I'm not getting on that horse again!" "Look at him, calm and easy." "He doesn't seem like the same horse." " You could say that." " Are you still sore?" "Yeah, all over." "You'll feel better when you're behind one of those strays." "That one's wilder than mountain scenery." " Stay here." "I'll get him." " That suits me fine." "I'm fine." "I'm just ..." "Oh, boy!" " Are you all right?" " How did I get back here?" "I slung you over the black." "That roan ran me between those trees on purpose." " It looked that way to me." " Where is he?" " In the corral." "He followed us in." " You still have that gun?" "Get it." " Get it!" " Jim Ed will make us pay for him." " Probably twice what he's worth." " Will it shoot?" "I never tried it." "It's Bull." "Compadres!" " Are you all right, Bull?" " Come in and join us for a drink." "Thank you, Ben." "Howdy." " Here we are." "Sit down." " What brings you out here?" "I've been riding bulls in Hi-Lo." "14th place." " I saw your truck." " We're chasing strays." " Seven dollars a head." " Calves and all?" " We'll have an old time in spring." " How's the wife and kids?" " Fine." " How many kids do you have now?" "Ten." "But I haven't been home in a week." "I should go." "Sit down." "I mean ..." "Still wearing those spike spurs?" " All the time." " How about that?" " That really tears up an animal." " It shows him who's boss, too." "We've been good friends for quite some time." "We've played poker together, fist fought, run women together ..." "Remember when we got thrown in jail for breaking up that poker game?" "And what we did in the fountain in front of the jail?" "Because of what we've been through, I'll do something for you." " I'll give you a great gift." " You'll kill yourself for me?" "Better than that." "We have a horse out there, a roan." "He's probably the best piece of horse flesh in Arizona." " That's a fact." " I'm going to give him to you." " I don't know how to thank you." " Don't try." "We'll load the horse into your truck, and you bring him home." "I won't forget this, Ben." "You think Bull can handle him?" "If he can't, with all those kids, he'll kill him and eat him." "Howdy, Ben." "Howdy, Howdy." "That's the second time I've missed today." " What do you think you're doing?" " Remember me?" "Harvey Williams." " Ben asked you what you're doing." " Gathering strays, same as you." " With a gun?" " I just crease them." "It's easier." "It beats wearing out good horses." " You saw us coming at that steer?" " As a matter of truth, I did." " And you let go anyway." " I figured I'd beat you to him." "I would have if I hadn't missed." "I guess I'm shooting low again." "That's a good-looking gun you have." "Mind if I take a look at it?" " You just crease them?" " It stuns them for a while." " Like hunting wild horses." " Same thing." " Are you good at hunting horses?" " I'd say there's none better." "I'm glad about that." "Now go hunt your horses." "Are you leaving us afoot here?" "It's ten miles back ..." "It's ten miles back to camp!" "Turn him loose." " A good horse could save us time." " Like that old roan?" " It's been quiet without him." " I can stand it." "That iron is cold already." "It's the worst winter I ever saw." "I hope the other hands stop the south roundup." "Nice easy horses ..." "Pushing dry cows and fat bulls." "I bet they've been to Sedona three or four times already." "If I ever get back, I'll work in a filling station." " Could you stand working inside?" " No." "It's the damn Apache in me." " Apache?" " Didn't I tell you I'm part Indian?" " Everybody says so." " Those redskins get around." " My grandfather's full-blood." " What does that make you?" "Enough to see a horse coming from a mile away." "Like that one." " What do you suppose happened?" " I don't know." "But I know what is going to happen." "Come spring, I'll buy this animal." "Then I'll load him in that truck and sell him to a soap factory." "I'll buy the first cake of soap made out of him." "Then I'll wallow in a manure pile for a week." "Then I'll take a bath." "From then on, I'll laugh whenever I wash my hands." "That's what I am going to do." " I'll open the corral gate." " If we shoot, they'll run." "The hell you say!" " How many head did they run off?" " 30, at least." "Let's string him up!" "I have a better idea." "Merry Christmas." "The same to you." "I bet all the others are in Sedona having a big turkey dinner ..." "Passing out presents, having a fine time." "Most likely." "Howdy, Ben." "Howdy, Howdy." "Merry Christmas." "Who says there is no Santa Claus?" "Stay with it, Ben." " Merry Christmas." " Haven't changed a bit, have you?" "Think you can just dance a girl off her feet." " Kiss her whenever you like." " Are you mad?" "I didn't say that." "How long are you two staying here?" " Until spring." " Are you catching any strays?" " We have got a few." " Why do you work for Jim Ed Love?" "You could be top hand on any outfit." "Be anything you wanted to, in fact." "I know you playin' dumb, but you're smart." "Why live out of a truck, with only a rope and saddle?" " It's not such a bad way to live." " If you ever want a home it is." "Now wait a minute." "A man has to get the free and easy out of his system." "And when it is time to settle down, he can really ... settle down." "If not he'll keep looking back, thinking he missed something better." " Someday you will get married?" " I figured to do that someday." "It might even be you, Meg." "A man could do a lot worse." "Could he?" "You're good with a horse, but you don't know much about women." "That old roan kicked in the wall and keeled over on the dance floor." "Vince ..." "Where did you park your truck?" " Out by the corral." " Any whiskey mash in it?" " Four bags." " Is he dead?" "He's drunk!" "Ben, look." "I see him." "Rafe, get the horses you need." "Morning, boys." " Did you have a good winter?" " It's good you came along." "We have only one rope left, and we both want to hang ourselves." "Not with all the back wages I have for you." " How many strays did you find?" " 108." " That's 108 times 6 ..." " 7!" " That comes to ..." " 756 dollars." "I'll take your word for that." "4, 5, 7, and 56." "And 140 for topping out that rough string." "You'll want to get to Sedona,   so my boys will drive the stock back to the ranch." "What about the calf that was born in the spring after the gather?" " What about him?" " You didn't bring him in." " That wasn't part of the deal." " We gathered their mamas." "That's not the same, but ..." "How many?" "Ten in all." "That's 60." "No, 70 even." " That does it." " Yeah, that does it." "Jim Ed Love, you're the cheapest man I ever met." "And if I never work for you again, it will be too soon." "Now wait." "I'm a reasonable man." "Let's make a trade." " What kind of a trade?" " I keep the 70 for the calves." "You keep that old roan horse." "What do you say?" "That suits me fine." "You've got yourself a deal." " What's wrong, Ben?" " You see that sign?" " How many years have we done this?" " The past five years." "Work all winter, go into town, spend our money and start all over." " Going to work for Jim Ed Love." " It won't happen this time." "I've been doing some thinking." "What if we go to the Wildcat Bar   just before rodeo, and say we have a horse that can throw anybody?" " We'd start a fistfight." " Sure." "But we'd have a lot of bets." " We could double our money on him." " And then do you know what I'll do?" " Sell him to a soap factory?" " No, I've changed my mind." "I'll sell him to a dog food company, buy the first can made out of him,   and then feed it to the mangiest dog I can find." "That's what I'm going to do." " Having trouble?" " It's the carburetor or something." " Mind if we take a look?" " Would you?" "We can't be out of gas." "We just had the tank filled." " Howdy, get in and fire her up." " It's awful nice of you to stop." "No trouble at all." "Hold it, Howdy." "Try it again." "Nope!" " It is the carburetor." " Is that bad?" "I'm afraid it is." "That's too bad." "There's a garage four miles away." "We're headed in that direction." "We'd be glad to give you a lift." " Are you sure it's no trouble?" " No trouble at all." "It will be just fine." "So I said to this ape, "If you think my sister and I came to Las Vegas   to be B-girls in your lousy joint, you got another thing coming."" "Being exotic dancers is one thing, but drinking with the guests, no." "We get along on talent." "We don't push thin whiskey or roll drunks for a living." " Not anymore." " No, we have a regular act." "We have music written up for it." "Lights, props, everything." "The days of bumps and grinds are gone." "You must have a gimmick." "A stripper brought it back from India or something." " We call our act the Love Snakes." " We get into two baskets." "When the curtain goes up, the clarinet plays this weird music." " And then we uncoil." " We hiss and strike at each other." "And when we shed our skin, it brings the house down." "I've got bad news, ladies." "I have to get parts in Sedona." " How long will that take?" " Maybe all day." " We can't leave until morning." " I'm sorry, it's the best I can do." "I guess you're just stuck with us." "Let's get a bottle and go for a moonlight swim." " In the middle of the day?" " Time flies." " What do you think?" " That suits me fine." "State Fish Hatchery" " The game warden!" " Let's get out of here." " That was close." "Come out, girls." " They can't." "Look ..." "And me without my clarinet." "Sedona Rodeo" "We'll have you out of there in a minute." "Just wait here." " Ben!" "When did you get back?" " Arlee, do me a favor." "See that booth over there?" "Give me four ham and eggs." "And I'd like two aprons like she has." " What for?" " Just don't ask any questions." "These are the last two I've got." "How do you want the eggs?" " Cooked." " Aprons?" "Here, put these on." "How do we look?" "I feel a draft." "When I say now, jump in the booth, quick!" " We've done her." " Arlee?" "Run over to the store and get these girls some dresses." " What color do you want?" " Any color, just so it is pink." "Purple is fine." " This booth has splinters." " Will you keep the coffee warm?" " Where are you going?" " To see some men about a horse." "Hold it!" "I'll say it again." "I'll bet we have an old roping horse,   and no cowboy in this town is cowboy enough to ride him." "Fight!" "Coming out of chute number one, Grady Decker on Upperhand." "Give him a big hand, folks." "That's all the pay he'll get." "Here's one for you." "The  sails in two weeks." "It has a swimming pool, shuffle board and promenade deck." "Stops at Hawaii and Tahiti." "And now a special event." "We have an old roan roping horse." "It can buck off any cowboy." "At least that's what it says here." " It's coming out of chute two." " What if he doesn't buck?" "Suppose he walks out like a milk-pen calf?" " He wouldn't do that." " No?" "Just look." "Look at that bastard buck!" "He's hurt, Howdy." " What do you think, Doc?" " He thinks he's finished." "He doesn't think he can stand up." "He won't even try." "I'd throw in what we won, if it would get him up again." " We'll be back where we started." " There's always next year." "If it's a question of money, we have about 400 bucks." " This roan isn't worth that much." " He is to us." "I'm sorry, boys." "Nothing more can be done for him." "He'll have to be destroyed." "I'll see to it for you, if you like." "No, I got him into this, I'll get him out." " Is there anything we can do?" " No." "Do you still have that .44 pistol?" "Get it." "The morning sun makes them forget the hurt they got." "Get it." "The son buck will be all right!" "I'll kill that knot-head." "So help me, I'll kill him!" "435, 455, 60 ... 475." "That's it." " I can't rebuild my stable on this." " It's all we have." "It's not enough." "I need at least 200 more." " But we don't have it." " I do." " How much was that again?" " 200." " Say 200." " Thank you, Mr. Love." "Tanner's hard to do business with." "Are you ready to go?" " Go where?" " I have a new string of broncos." "You'll be able to pay off the 200." "You might even stay the winter." "See you boys later." "Jim Ed isn't so bad." "Never tells you how to do your job." "We might have a chance to go against some of Vince's wonderful stuff." " Not to mention his daughters." " Aggie's fine when it gets cold." "Howdy, do you know what a bronc rider is?" "He's a cowboy with his brains kicked out." "It takes a hard man to eat boiled owl." "Let's go." "Whatever suits you suits me just fine."