"I've been waiting too, over eight years." "The park's down there, ain't it?" "Yeah." "The park?" "Say, Earle, you feeling all right?" "I will be." "Just as soon as I make sure that grass is still green and trees are still growing." "Pass me the ball, there, mister!" "He ought to be here now." "When he comes, stay in the bedroom till he's gone." "I been hearing about Roy Earle for years." "He's a real big shot, and I wanna see him!" "Okay, okay." " Here they are now." "Wally's brought him." " All right, scram!" "Come in." "Well, what kept you?" "Ain't losing your touch, are you?" "Where's Big Mac?" "He's gone to California." " I'm handling things." " Who are you?" "I'm Kranmer, Jack Kranmer." " Copper, ain't you?" " Used to be." "I resigned." " I'll bet." " You don't have to worry about me." "Since when does Big Mac team up with ex-coppers?" "I told you not to worry." "Mac wants you to go to California." "The car downstairs is yours." "Here's the keys." "Here's your route and some dough." "The sooner you get there, the better." "What's the setup?" "You ever heard of Tropico Springs?" "It's a resort town." ""Richest little town in the world," they call it." "You're gonna knock off a top hotel there." "Am I, copper?" "Mac spent a fortune springing you." "You're working for him now." "He calls the tune, and you dance to it." " Hello there." " Howdy." "Is there anything I can do for you?" "No, I was just looking around." " This is the old Earle place, ain't it?" " Yeah." "But none of the Earles been around here for five or six years." "You from the bank?" "No, I used to live near here." " It's nice country." " Yeah." " Howdy, son." "Any luck?" " Not much." "Best place is that hole below the Turner place." "Plenty big catfish in there." "Three or four pounds." "Three or four pounds?" "Gee!" "Well used to be a long time ago, anyway." "Maybe it's fished out." "Why..." "Why, you're Roy Earle, the bandit!" "Howdy, partner." "What can I do for you?" "She'll take some water and 10 gallons of gas." "Yes, sir." "You bet!" "Hot day, ain't she?" "Ain't many cars coming through right now." "Little early, I guess." "You're looking at the pride of the Sierras." "Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the United States." "14,501 feet above sea level." "I see you got an Illinois license plate." "You're a long way from home, ain't you?" "You must excuse me." "I get lonesome and when a customer shows up, well, maybe I talk too much." "Lonesome, eh?" "Yeah, I can see how you would get lonesome out here." "Wow, we made it!" "I'd sure like to shake your hand, sir." "Jackrabbit jumped in front of my car and I lost my head." " You sure saved our bacon." " I saved my own bacon too." "Come far?" " Clear from Ohio." "And you?" " Chicago." "Mighty proud to meet you." "You sure can handle a car." "Me, I'm a bit shaky at it, but Velma, Velma's my granddaughter she's a good driver, but she gets tired and I won't let her drive too much." "What's your name, sir?" " Collins." " Mine's Goodhue." "Velma, Ma, I'd like you to meet Mr. Collins." " How you doing?" " Pleased to meet you." "Well, I guess I'll be on my way." "Out of five." " Going far?" " Up in the mountains, for my health." "Well, I'm going to Los Angeles." "I lost my farm back home but Velma's mother married again, and she sort of invited us out." " Now, I don't know if..." " $2.41, 3, 4, 5." "Well, I hope you make it." " Hey, you." " Yes, sir?" "I'm looking for a guy named Hattery." "Him and another fella." "They all in Cabin 12." " You the one they expecting?" " Yeah." "Then you'll be in Cabin 11." "Leave your car." "I'll drain the water." "It gets awful cold at night." " Get my bags." "They're in the back." " I'll take care of them, boss." "Hattery here?" "Red!" "There's someone to see you." " You Roy Earle?" " Yeah." "Glad to see you." "I can't shake hands, I've been cleaning fish." "Meet my pal Babe Kozak." "This is Marie Garson." "Red, I want to talk to you alone." "See you later." "It's okay by me." "You don't like the idea of the dame?" "Even guys like you should know better." "Babe got her at a dime-a-dance joint." "She's okay, looks after things for us." "Well, give her some dough and send her back." "Tonight." "Now, what about this job?" "The Tropico season is just starting, and Mendoza, our inside man he says the hotel will be full in a week." "There'll be plenty of rocks in the strongboxes then." "When do I see Mendoza?" "He'll be up the day he gets off." "He's in touch with Big Mac too." " He is?" " He'll give you all the news firsthand." "All right." "Say, Mr. Earle?" "I wanted to say that with you on the job, we feel like we're in fast company." "I heard a lot about you." "When I was a kid, I seen you in the paper and..." "Yeah." "You can have your Roy Earle." "He don't look like much to me." "He's getting gray." "A powerhouse to some, but he's a blown-out fuse to me." "I'll bet he's plenty tough." "Get out of line and you'll see." "All right, I'll see." "Let me tell you something." "You're asking for a smack in the nose!" " And stop arguing with me!" " I got some bad news." "Roy says we gotta send Marie back." "Why, that broken-down..." " I'll tell him!" " Yeah?" "Well, here's your chance." "You don't want me to go back to L.A., do you?" "You tell him." "I don't know." "I suppose we need that guy." "But that's no reason he should push us around!" "He's not the boss!" "He can't get..." "Go on, keep it up." "You're gonna win this argument." "Leave her alone, or I'll flatten you!" " You and who else?" " Just me!" "Cut it out!" "You won't get nothing but a black eye." "I don't care what anyone says." "She's not going back!" "So you think." "He thinks different." "I'm not going back to that dime-a-dance joint if I can help it." " I'll go talk to him." " With him, I don't think it'll work." "Yeah?" "Can I talk to you a moment?" "Sure." "Help yourself." "Why do you want to send me back to L. A?" "I like it here." "Don't play dumb." "I don't intend to." "Oh, I know what's going on but I didn't get it from them." "Louis Mendoza told me." "He talks too much, and all he does is brag." "So you see, Mr. Earle, Mendoza's the one for you to worry about." "Not me." "I ain't worrying about you." "It's them jitterbugs you got with you." "They'll be throwing lead over you." "Oh, I can handle them, all right." "Babe gets tough every once in a while, but he's afraid of Red." "And I can make Red think what I want." "Got it all figured out, ain't you?" "In a way." "All right." "Let things stay as they are a few days and see how it works out." "Oh, thanks, Mr. Earle." "Well?" "Goodbye." "Yeah?" "Morning." "This is me, Algernon." "Anything I can do for you this morning?" "You can rustle me up some breakfast." "Lady next door got your breakfast." "She thought I ought to see if you was stirring around." "Yes, sir." "Where'd you ever get the name Algernon?" "My old lady thought it up." "Pip, ain't it?" "Kind of gives me class." "You like this dog?" " He's just a dog, ain't he?" " No, sir." "A mighty fine dog." "Watch now." "Pard?" "Ducks!" "Ducks!" "Down!" "Down!" "Up!" "Up!" "Jump!" "Yes, sir, mighty fine animal, he is." "Proud of your dog, ain't you?" "No, sir, he ain't my dog." "He took a liking to me and follows me." " Sort of gets me worried too." " Why?" "Pard used to belong to a woodcutter, who lived up here all year around." "Last winter, a snow slide come down on that man's house and killed him dead." "Didn't kill Pard, though." "A man saw Pard wandering around in the snow took him in, bam!" "If that man don't up and die with the pneumonia." "Great big, strapping man too." "So Pard got to hanging around the lodges." "And doggone if Miss Tucker didn't come up here with the:" "And I hear yesterday she ain't gonna live." "So I'm just telling you about Pard, in case you want him for your own dog." "Can I come in?" "Yeah." "He breaking your heart with the mutt's story?" " It's the Lord's truth." " Look at him." "He's a born panhandler." "Everyone stuffs him, so now he won't eat anything but a New York cut." "I guess I'll get back to the store." "Pard will stay with you, won't you, Pard?" "Hey." "Sit down." "Have a cigarette." "Thanks." " Where are your boyfriends?" " Out fishing." "That's about all they do." "They never catch any, but they keep fishing." "Yeah, he certainly is spoiled." "Look at him." "He knows we're talking about him." "I feel pretty good this morning." "I felt rotten last night." "Nothing like a good night's sleep." "You ought to get out in the sun." "Do you good." "Where I been, they didn't let me out in the sun." "Afraid I might spoil my girlish complexion." "Must be terrible to be in prison." "Some are worse than others." "You get a mean guard on you unless you got what it takes, might as well climb tier 2 and jump." " Some of them did." " I don't get you." "Top of the cell block." "It's a 40-foot drop, and you land on concrete." "I saw a guy take a dive once." "He made quite a splash." "Yeah." "That must be awful." "He just didn't have what it takes." "I was doing it too, but I got a break." "How was it?" "I mean, knowing you're in for life." " I should think you go crazy." " Yeah." "Yeah, lots of them do." "I was always thinking about a crash-out." "I tried it at the prison farm, where they sent me but the fix blew up and a screw put the blast on me." "The worst of it was, they sent me back behind those big walls." "We were just getting ready for another crash-out when my pardon came." "Yeah, I get it." "You always hope you can get out." "That sort of keeps you going." "Yeah." "Yeah, sure, that's it." "You got it." "Well, I'll get you some more coffee." "Well, thanks for the chow." "You see that fella over there?" "He better watch his steps because that dog's got the hex on him for sure." "Gonna put the evil eye on him?" "Yes, sir, the evil eye." "That little old dog's got the evilest eye." "His left eye just shines in the dark, just like a cat's eye." "Algernon, if it's in the dark, how do you know which eye is which?" "Come on, Mendoza." "We playing cards or taking a nap?" "I'm sorry." "My mind was not on the game." "That's for me." "Thanks, Louis." "Dumb luck." "Just plain dumb luck." "If you wouldn't kick so much, you'd do better." " It's all in the cards." " That's right." "Oh, Roy, this here's Louis Mendoza." "Delighted, Mr. Earle." "Come on, Mendoza, let's finish out this hand." "That's a baby!" "There's that dumb luck again." "I can't beat it." "What's it look like at the hotel?" "How soon do we go?" "Oh, it won't be long now." "The visiting season is starting up north and all the big shots have been making reservations." "This is the layout." "I don't know." "Babe and I kind of figured our best getaway was over the pass." "Nobody will expect us to cross the Sierras to go to L.A." "Suppose it should blow up a storm?" "If the pass got blocked up, then what?" "Yeah, that's right." "Oh, by the way, I dropped in to see Big Mac yesterday." "He wants to see you." "All right, I'll look at the hotel tomorrow." "Drive in and see him." "Mendoza brought us a present and, Roy, you're the engineer." "Big Mac gave me the machine gun." "Know how to work it?" " Red doesn't, neither does Babe." " That's a good one." " What's so funny?" " Does he know how to work it?" "Yeah." "Say, that gun reminds me of one time nine or 10 years ago." "We was getting ready to do a job back in Iowa when one of the guys got the shakes." "Pretty soon, we found out that this guy had talked too much." "And a bunch of coppers are waiting for us at the bank." "But we don't say nothing." "Lefty Jackson goes out and gets his gun." "He comes back and sits down and holds it across his knee." "The guy with the shakes is sitting right across the room." "Pretty soon, Lefty just touched the trigger a little and the gun went..." "like that." "The rat fell out of his chair dead, and we drove off and left him there." "Yeah, the gun just went:" "I ought to be getting back." "I have to go on duty at 8:30." "What's your stunt?" "You stick through the whole job, don't you?" "Sure, I stand behind the desk and act scared." "When you fellas get through, I phone the police." "We don't want no slip-ups, Mendoza." "Boys and girls, I got the idea that our boyfriend here is no cream puff." "How'd you like the little bedtime story about the gun that went...?" "You get the idea?" "You suppose he meant it that way?" "Try talking and find out." " I'll take a pack of these." " Twenty-five cents, please." "Yes, sir." " Thing at 316?" " I... 316." "They've got no money or insurance." "It's murder." "Tough luck, Pfiffer." "I should take it out of his hide." " He wasn't driving." "The girl was." " I was!" "I was!" " What's an outfit like that doing here?" " It's a state highway." "The signal was on." "He had his hand out." "Wait a minute." "Will you let me get a word in?" "I was driving along, he..." "Why, Roy." " Oh, friends of yours?" " Yeah." "Why?" "I know I have no chance to collect, but I'm curious." "I pull out and wham." "Look at my fender." "But you didn't make a signal." "You better be careful." "You might have to pay off." "Oh, a wise guy in on this?" "All right, have it your own way." "I'll charge it off to experience." "What's the matter?" "I got clipped, but I'm satisfied if this guy is." "Well, I guess if Mr. Pfiffer is satisfied, I am." "Come on, let's break this up." "Back on the sidewalk." "Hey, fella." "These people ain't got any dough." "That car's all they got." " Stop it." "You're breaking my heart." " Fifty bucks ain't much to you." " Sorry, but not a quarter." " That's right." "Saw the whole thing." "That girl was driving the car." "Look, she's a cripple too." "No, it was really Velma's fault." "She was gawking around, looking at things and smacked into that fella's car." "I was surprised when he give you that hundred dollars to give me." "I wouldn't worry about him." "He's probably got plenty." "This is the second time you saved us." "When Velma smashed into that car, I had 13 cents in my pocket and a $5 bill in my shoe." "The women didn't know and don't tell them." "Pa, you're all right." "You said you come from Chicago, didn't you?" "I came from Chicago, but I'm from Brookfield, Indiana." "Born and went to school there." " A little town?" " Yeah." " I knew it." " My folks got a farm." "I said to Ma out there in the desert, you was our kind." "Yes, sir, I can tell them every time." " Say, Pa?" " Yeah?" "Excuse me, I suppose it's none of my business but what's wrong with Velma's foot?" "It's a clubfoot." "She was born that way." "Can't nothing be done?" "A doctor said she could be operated but the last few years I've been so broke, we couldn't." "We hurried with the dishes." "We knew Pa would be talking your ear off." "Isn't the air grand out here?" "Look at the stars." "I never knew there were so many in the sky." "Back home you couldn't see them like that." "It's always like this in the desert." "See that bright, blue star up there?" "Look at it sparkle." "Look." "You see that other one?" " Where?" " Right there." " Oh, I see it." " Yeah." "Now, that's Jupiter." "How do you know?" "A fella I used to know, he..." "He taught me all about the sky." "Where we was, we didn't have much else to do." "Is that star always up there?" "You see different stars at different times." "They change with the seasons." "Now, look." "You see that one twinkling over there?" "Well, that's Venus." "Oh, it makes you dizzy just looking at them." "Yeah." "You know, sometimes, when you're out in the night and you look up at the stars, you can almost feel the motion of the Earth." "It's like a little ball that's turning through the night, with us hanging on to it." "Why, that sounds like poetry, Roy." "It's pretty." "Well, I guess I better be starting." "I got a long drive ahead of me." "Got a business appointment in L.A. Pa, I sure enjoyed that dinner." "And we sure enjoyed your company." "Don't fail to look us up in Los Angeles." "We might get lonesome." "Especially Velma." "You shouldn't say things like that." "I'm surprised at you." "I declare, the older you get, the sillier you act." "Oh, Roy understands me." "Me and Roy is old-timers." " Goodbye." " Bye." " Goodbye, Roy." " Goodbye, Roy." "Lucky girl that gets him." "Come in." "A swell parlay for you tomorrow, Doc." "Still a sucker for the ponies, eh?" "Hello, Roy, old-timer." "Hello, Mac." "You're a sight for sore eyes." "Yeah, I sure am glad to see you too." "Thanks for the spring." "I was getting ready for another crash-out." " What's the matter, Mac?" " I don't know." "I can't eat." "Just ain't hungry." "And I can't sleep." "Doc Banton says it's my past life catching up with me." "Doc Banton?" "Is he out here now?" "Yeah." "I was expecting him when you came in." "He's running a health service with a phony name." "Help yourself to a drink." "Well, Roy, how does it look and what do you say?" "I can't see nothing wrong." "If the boys don't blow up on me, it's a cinch." "But it's gonna make a big noise in the newspapers." "Well, that's your headache, not mine." "The jewelry, that's all I'm interested in." "Look, once you get your mitts on it, keep your mitts on it." "Deliver it right here." "If you're hot, telephone." "This caper means a lot to me." "I spent a pile of dough setting it up, and I'm in deep." "So don't let me down, Roy." "I never let nobody down." "You know that." "Oh, I know, but I've been dealing with such a lot of screwballs lately." "Young twerps, soda jerkers and jitterbugs." "Why, it's a relief just to talk to a guy like you." "Yeah, all the A-one guys are gone." "Dead or in Alcatraz." "If I only had four guys like you, Roy this knock-over would be a waltz." "Yep, times have sure changed." "Yeah, ain't they?" "You know, Mac, sometimes I feel like I don't know what it's all about anymore." "Yeah, times have sure changed." "Hide the booze." "Hide the booze." " Well, hello." "Hello, Mac." " Hello, Doc." "Look who's here." "Well, I'll be." "Roy Earle, the old boy himself." "Hello, Doc." "Last time I saw you, I was taking slugs out of Lefty Jackson's chest." " Yeah, that's right." " Oh, those were the times." " Not many of the old bunch left." " Oh, cut it out." "Mac tells me you're doing all right, Doc." "This is the land of milk and honey for the health racket." "Every woman in California thinks she's too fat or too thin or too something." "Well same dosage, same medicine." "Need a new prescription?" "No." " Well, good night, Mac." " Good night, Doc." "He's in a bad way, old Mac." "Bum ticker, kidneys on the blink bad stomach." "Like a kid's toy that's running down." "I try to keep him from drinking, but there's no stopping him." "He'll go on doing just as he always has done." " Well, maybe he's right." " Say, Doc." " Yeah?" " There's something I wanted to ask you." " Yeah?" " Can anything be done about a clubfoot?" "Well, some can be operated and some can't." "Why?" "Well, a good friend of mine's got a granddaughter." "She's a nice girl." "One time, a doctor told her old man that an operation could fix it." " I was just wondering if..." " Young kid, is she?" " Well, she's about 20, I guess." " Oh, 20." "I see." "Well, my advice, Roy, is to forget all about her foot." " Now, look, Doc, I ain't kidding." " Well, I'll have to see her." "Will you take a look at her?" "Sure, but you understand I can't do any operating but I can get you someone who will." "It'll cost you plenty, though." " Okay, Doc." "I'll give you a ring." " Good." "Do that, Roy." "And I'll make you a present of my fee for old times' sake." " Good night." " Good night, Doc." "Roy." " I don't know, Mac, the..." " Yeah, I do." "There." "Now I feel better." "That's the works." "Now, if anything should happen to me read this letter, and you'll know what to do." "As the doc told you, if I don't lay off this stuff, it's gonna knock me off but I'm gonna die anyhow." "So are you." "So are we all." "To your health, Roy." " Hello, Roy." " Hello, Pa." "Glad to see you." "This is Doc, Mr. Parker, of the Nu-Health Institute." " Proud to meet you." " How do you do?" " He's an expert, knows his stuff." " Oh, yeah?" "After you called up I spoke to them, and I think I've got Velma on my side but Ma is against it." "You'll have to excuse the way things look." "We're getting straightened out." " Roy, this is Mabel." " How do you do?" "This is her husband, Carl." "This is Mr. Parker, Mabel." " How do you do?" " Hello, Roy." "Hello, Velma." "Say, I'd like you to meet Mr. Parker." " How do you do?" " Velma." "You say, Mr. Parker." "Isn't he even a doctor?" "I am a specialist." "Seems to me you'd be thankful somebody's trying to do something." "You've nothing to say about this." "I'm thinking if he isn't even a doctor..." "He can look at her." "That won't hurt nothing." "I don't think Velma wants him to look at her." "Do you, dear?" " Well, Pa wants him to." "So does Roy." " Who is this Roy anyway?" "You know about Roy." "If it wasn't for him..." "Why does he go to trouble to help strangers?" "He must have a reason." "Maybe he likes Velma." "She ain't married yet and likely not to be." " Lf you want my opinion..." " We don't want it." " You got Velma upset talking like that." " All right." "All right." "All right." "If you don't want him to look at your foot, you don't have to." "Oh, but I do." "If the child's made up her mind, I've nothing to say." "Come along, Mr. Parker." "Come on, Ma." "This way, doctor." "Roy, if this here specialist says he can operate on Velma, what then?" " Operations cost money." " Well, I'll loan you the money." " I could never pay it back." " I ain't worrying about that." "Oh, I know." "I know." "Anybody with eyes in their head." "She's pretty, ain't she?" "And just as sweet as she's pretty." " Yeah." " Are you figuring on marrying Velma?" "Well, I ain't got that far in my figuring." "Well, I don't know what's the right thing to do but it seems to me before you put out money I ought to tell you about Velma." "Well, what about her?" "Well, she's got a fella back home." "His name's Preiser." "He's about 30 years old and already divorced." "He's doing good in insurance, but it didn't look right a divorced man running around with a crippled girl so Ma and me brings Velma out here to her mother." "Now, it's my guess that Velma's still thinking about that fella." "Now mind, I don't think there's anything wrong." "I'm always telling myself there wasn't." "It makes me feel better." "That's about all there is to it, Roy." "I hope you ain't sore or anything." "No, I ain't sore at nobody." "I guess it sounds funny, and I ain't got the right words to fit it but it seems as if I'd been close to Velma for a million years." "And knowing her like I do, nobody ain't ever gonna tell me she's ever done a wrong thing, because I know." "You understand?" "She's not to know you told me anything." " All right, Roy, anything you say." " Roy, he says it can be fixed!" "We'll soon have the young lady walking as well as anybody." "Jiminy Cricket!" "Ain't that wonderful, Ma?" "Now, honey, you just thank Roy." "Roy's the one." "He thought up the whole thing, and he's lending me the money." "You, Mr. Collins?" "You?" "Why, I..." "I mean, I..." "Oh, I hope you'll excuse the way I acted but I've been so worried about Velma." "I am her mother, and..." "Mr. Parker will take care of everything." "You got nothing to worry about, Velma." "Roy, you're so good." "Pa says you're the best man that ever lived." "And I guess Pa's right." "Well goodbye." "Darnedest fella." "Darnedest fella." "It's criminal nothing's been done for that girl before." "It's a simple operation." "I got an in with the best surgeon in town." "The whole thing will set you back about 400 bucks." "You satisfied?" " Yeah, sure, I'm satisfied." " But, Roy, I'm giving it to you straight." "You're just sticking your neck out." "She's not your kind." "She's gonna throw a fit when she finds out what kind of a guy you are." " Yeah, I know." " You may catch lead any minute." "What you need is a fast-stepping young filly you can keep up with." "Remember what Johnny Dillinger said about guys like you and him?" "He said you were rushing toward death." "Yeah, that's it." "Just rushing toward death." "Well." "What's the matter, Pard, you been hiding out?" " Is that you, Roy?" " Yeah." " Is Pard with you?" " Yeah, he's right here." "Hey, you had me scared." " What are you doing in there?" " Come on in." "Gee, I'm glad Pard's all right." "I was afraid Babe had killed him." " Did he do that?" " Yeah, he went crazy." "Red tried to cool him off, but he fought like a wildcat." "He picked up a poker and hit Red over the head." "He swung at me twice." " Were they fighting over you?" " Red was standing up for me." " When was this?" " About dark." "Where are they?" "As soon as Babe knocked Red cold, he ran for the store." "Then I heard Pard barking, and Babe threw a poker at him." "So I ran over here and locked myself in." "I found this under your pillow." "Figured if Babe sneaked back, I could hold him off." " He was like a crazy guy." " Give me that." "Stay here." " You'll only get yourself in a jam." " Shut up and lock this door behind me." " Roy!" " Give me that gun." " Nobody's gonna push me." " Give it to me." "Is he in there?" "He's scared to come out." " You were gonna bump him off." " He hit me..." "You wait right here." "I'll handle this." "I had him hooked good." "He was all played out, and I'm reaching for my net..." "Well, good night, fellas." "Here's my pal." "I'll get along." " I hope tomorrow you get a 10-pounder." " Yeah, thanks." "Good night." " You stinking rat." " Yeah, I know." "I went crazy." " Marie tried to" " That's right, blame the dame." "Go on." "Marie." "Here he is." "Mark him up." "Swing on him." "Hit him with this." "No." "I don't want to hurt him." "Oh, Roy, don't hurt him." "He won't act like that again." "Your car's outside." "If I was you, I'd beat it, both of you." " Roy, we've been counting on this job." " I'm giving you a chance to blow." "If you stick, I'll shoot the first one that don't do as I say." "Okay, Roy." "Come on, Babe." "Roy, I'm not going back to the cabin." "No, you better not." " The trouble would just start all over." " Look, I found a cot in the woodshed." " I could fix it up and sleep in the kitchen." " All right." "I'll have Algernon get your clothes, and I'll send you home tomorrow." "No." "No." "No." "No, I say." "You can't hold me." "Take the gates away." "I'm crashing out." "Yeah." "Yeah, sure." "Sure." "I'll go back to the farm." "Sweet, Indiana farm." "But you're holding me back." "Don't hold me back." "I'll crash out, I tell you." "I'll crash out." "You can't." "No." "No, you can't do it." "Farm's the best." "Yeah." "Yeah, that's the best." "You can't take it away." "You can't." "You can't take it." " A little more coffee?" " Yeah." "Well, are you all packed?" "Well, Roy, I thought maybe I could..." "I'll run you over to Ballard." "You can catch a bus." "I haven't got a soul in L.A." " Where you from?" " San Francisco." " Family there?" " Yeah." "Well, maybe I can stake you to a ticket." "Roy?" "Remember what you were saying about prison and the way you kept from going crazy by thinking about a crash-out?" "Well, that's the way it's been with me." "I've been trying to crash out ever since I can remember." "My old man used to get drunk a couple times a week and kick us around." "My old lady used to stand it, but not me." "I waited for my chance, and I beat it." "I crashed out, just like you did." " I got you." " Then I came down to L. A and got a job in a dime-a-dance joint." "It was a living, but, well, I got pretty sick of being pawed over." "So when Babe came along, I crashed out again." "I thought Babe was a right guy." "I guess I was never hooked up with any guys that wasn't wrong." "So I had nothing to go by till I met you." "I'll get ready." "Go away, Pard, will you?" "Go away." " What's the matter?" " Roy, please don't send me back to L.A." "Please don't." "I want to stay with you." "Please, Roy, don't." "Oh, Roy." "Listen." "Listen to me." "I'm giving it to you straight." "I got plans, see?" "And there's no room in them for you." "You couldn't never mean nothing to me." "Nothing special, that is." "You know what I mean?" "I'm gonna take a run to L.A. I can't stand this waiting around." "Let me go along, will you?" "I sure would like to take in a movie." " All right." "Get your things and my hat." " I won't be a second." "We'll be back in plenty of time, in case Mendoza calls." "If he ever calls." "I don't like the way he's stalling around." "I just don't like it." " Hey, you guys keep your noses clean." " Yeah, sure, Roy." " Roy, Pard's following us." " Go on home, Pard." "Go back." "Roy, let's take him along with us." "Well, I gotta leave him sometime." "Yeah, you gotta leave him sometime, so let's take him now." "All right." "Here, boy." " You gonna take in a movie?" " I don't care." "I just came for the ride." "I'd better take care of Pard if you're going to a movie." " Where you going?" " To see some people, friends of mine." "What's their racket?" "They're not in any racket." "He's a farmer from Ohio, lost his farm." "There's him and Ma and his granddaughter." " Granddaughter, huh?" " Yeah, her name's Velma." "Just had an operation on her foot." "Mighty pretty girl." "Is she?" "Yeah." "Yeah, and decent." " Hello, Pa." " Hello, Roy." "Well, I'll be doggone." " Where you been?" " How's Velma?" " You wouldn't know her." " She's walking?" "She's still in bed, but the doctor says in a few days she can dance and nobody would ever know she was crippled." " Say, that's great." " Hello, boy." "Hello." "It's a cute little fella." " Roy, it's about time." " Hey, Ma, cut that out." "Roy's a nice-looking fella, and I'm jealous." "Come on in and see Velma." "She'll be glad to see you." "Roy, you look so good." "Mabel's husband's at work, and Mabel's uptown so you got her all to yourself today, Roy." "Well, I hear you're all right." " She wants to kiss you." " Oh, Ma." "We were wondering what happened to you." "Well, I've been pretty busy." "Did it hurt much when they fixed your foot?" "Oh, it didn't hurt at all." "I didn't even know it." "We'll never get through thanking you, Roy." "It was wonderful of you." "Say, I got a big business deal coming up and if it goes through the way I think it ought to, I can quit for life." "Oh, that's fine, Roy." "Did you tell Pa?" "I was thinking that if this deal goes through the way it ought to that I'd like to take a trip around the world, and I was just..." "Well, you see what I mean, Velma?" "Yes, I see." "I was thinking that if you didn't want to take a trip around the world what would you like to do?" "You see, Velma, I'd sure like to marry you." "I ain't so old, and I'm gonna have plenty of dough someday." "Gee, I don't know." "You sure been wonderful to us, Roy and Pa says there's no better man than you, but, Roy..." "You got somebody back home, I guess." "Well, yes." "In a way, I have." "He's figuring on coming out here to marry you?" "Well, I don't know." "I may go back there." "I ought to be hearing from him any day." "Are you crazy about him, Velma?" "Well, I guess that lets me out." "But we can still be friends, though, can't we, Roy?" "When will we see you again?" "I don't know." "But I'll be walking in a few days." "You simply must come back to see me walk." "Why, of course he will." "Yeah." "I'll come back and see Velma walk." " What's wrong, pet?" " He wants me to marry him, Pa." "And I said I wouldn't on account of Lon." "I don't love Roy, Pa." "I'm not crippled anymore, Pa and from now on, I'm gonna have fun dressing up and going places and dancing." "I'll dance all night long if I want to." "Oh, I know what Roy did for me, Pa but I don't love him." " Oh, I just don't love him." " Oh, there, there, now." "Good morning." "A man phoned in a telegram for Mr. Collins." "Hello, Pard, you hard-luck dog, you." "Yeah, it's from Mendoza." "Tonight's the night." "Here are the three hammers." "Shall I take the sledge, Roy?" "I don't know." "I never cracked a safety deposit box before." "Why can't Mendoza open those boxes?" "It'd be a tip-off that it was an inside job." "The cops would pinch him, and he'd sing." " Roy, what about Pard?" " Oh, yeah." "Take him to Algernon." "Tell him to lock him up." "Here's 5 bucks." " Why not take him along?" " Imagine taking a dog on a caper." " I'd watch after him." " You do as I tell you." "Well, I guess that's everything." "When we get into the hotel, don't anybody look up, no matter what." "That's my business." "Nobody's gonna bother you, and I mean nobody." "Are there any questions?" "Marie and I are heading for L.A. With the jewelry." "Take the dough here." "When you hear from us, bring the dough to L.A." "All right?" "Well, I guess we're all set." "I'm glad Marie's going." "She's got more nerve than most guys." "We'll make up her share between us." " That's fair." " Fair enough." "You bet." "It's worth it to have someone watch out for the car." "I'll never forget a guy I knew." "Petty Garrison." "Him and another creep waltz in to knock over a store and he leaves the heap outside with the engine running." "They come out ahead of a shotgun blast, somebody snitched." "So they ducks down an alley and runs right into a copper." " What a mess." " You think of the prettiest stories to tell." " They was smalltime, not like us." " We wasn't big till this one." " I don't feel big." " Roy feels big." "Cut the gab and get going." "Pard's locked in." "He knows something's up." "He's scratching at the door." "That little mutt's a plain nuisance." " That's Pard." "I told you he knew." " Shut up and get in the car." "I wish that dog would stop howling." "Gives me the creeps." " What's wrong with you?" " It's Pard." "He's following us." " He can't follow us far at night." " Oh, Roy, you can't." "Who says I can't?" "What I ought to do is put a bullet through his head." "We ain't got enough trouble without a fool dog?" "Let him in." "Poor little fella, got no home." "Got nobody, have you?" "Well, of all the 14-carat saps." "Starting out on a caper with a woman and a dog." " Lf he spoils this job, I'Il..." " Oh, you're full of talk." "I think you're glad." " Mendoza!" " Shut up." "One move, I'll fill your pants full of lead." "Over there!" " I will, sir." " Open it up, quick." " How's it going?" " Having a little trouble with the boxes." "How you doing?" "Got a few more." "This is really something." " Quiet, peaceful little hotel." " Nice time of night to build a house." " Oh, Bob." " Get over there." "Shut up." " Move over there." "Move fast." " Bob, my rings." "Stop them." " Look, my friend, you can't do this." " Sit down." "You won't get hurt." "Hey, you." " Yes, sir." " Sit over there." " Go on, go on." "Hurry up." " Yes, sir." "Heist them, buddy." "You've got to take me." "I never thought we'd shoot somebody!" "He won't croak." "I shot low." "Go on, get in that car." "Police!" "Police!" "Hey, he's taking the wrong road." " The coppers will go to the fire now." " Oh, Roy, those boys." "Smalltimers for small jobs." "They lost their heads." "This one was just too big." " Hey, you feeling better now?" " Still kind of wobbly." " I keep thinking of Babe and Red." " No use worrying about them." "If they didn't kick off, the coppers have them." " Do you think they'll talk?" " Lf they don't, Mendoza will." "Who cares?" "I'll turn that box over to Mac in a couple of hours and he'll hand me a wad of dough." " Then we'll be all set, won't we, Roy?" "Sure." "You got quite a piece of change coming to you." "And I'm gonna see that you get it right away because I'll be blowing soon." " Going back East, I guess." " I'm going with you." "Oh, don't talk like a sap." "Stick with me, you'll never be in anything but trouble." "Look, Roy, no matter what happens, I'm sticking with you." "Don't think you'll check me so easy." "Well, we'll see." "Come on, let's go." "Come on, Pard." "But remember, if the going gets tough, I'm gonna have to park you for a while." "I'm glad you said, "for a while. " That makes me feel good." "Look, if I really get in your way, you can park me." "Is that a deal?" "It's a deal." "I won't be long." " Hello, Earle." " What are you doing here?" "Mac sent for me." "I flew out a few days ago." "Mighty sick man." "He collapsed last night." "He's asleep now." "Hey, you want to read about yourself?" "Tough about the two guys, huh?" " It was their own fault." " Well, their troubles are over." " Both of them?" " Mendoza broke his collarbone." "Got knocked cold." "He'll be all right." "The police haven't identified Babe and Red yet." "Let's show the stuff to Mac." "It might cheer him up." " You got it in that shoebox?" " Yeah, and it sure is heavy." "Earle's here." "He clipped them for a half a million." "I came through for you." "You didn't spring me for nothing." "Wake up, Mac, wake up, Earle's here." "Hey, this guy is dead." " He's what?" " He's dead." "Yeah, cold as a mackerel." "Kicked off in his sleep, I guess." "What are you gonna do with the stuff?" "Mac told me what to do in case this happened." " He had a feeling he'd never make it." " Don't be a sap." "Mac's dead, and we're rich." "I can get a fence to handle this stuff." "Listen, chiseler, I'm still working for him and so are you." "I'm gonna follow my instructions." "Use your head, man." "This is a chance of a lifetime." "You heard me." "Okay, maybe you're right." "Pico-7719." "Hello." "This you, Art?" "This is Earle." "Mac's dead." "Yeah, he said in the letter to call you." "That you was to do the handling." "Nope." "Nope." "He just kicked off." "His heart." "Okay." "Thanks." "Hand over that box, Earle." "You give me any trouble, and I'll fill you full of lead." "I'd be reinstated and get a medal besides." "Just what I told poor Mac, a copper's always a copper." "Well, this stuff's pretty hot anyway." "Here it is." " I was getting ready to look for you." " Get in the car." "Drive." " Well, what's wrong, honey?" " Bullet nicked me." "Go to Vermont and turn right." "You're mighty lucky." "A little higher, it would have been curtains for you." "Oh, that stuff sure burns, Doc." "Tell me, Roy, did you really crack them for 500 G's?" "We can't tell yet." "They kick up the price after a heist but I got plenty of rocks." "You'll have to trust me on the dough." "I only got about 50, 60 bucks." "Didn't get your cut yet?" "That's all right but I figure this is gonna cost you about 500." "Five hundred's okay with me." "When I need help, I need it bad and I'm willing to pay." " What about Velma?" "Oh, I don't know, Doc." "That was just one of them things." " Is she walking pretty good now?" " Perfectly." "My surgeon friend did a magnificent job." "You ought to see her." "Maybe I will look in." "I promised the old man I would anyway." "Well, you better be going now." "Make a right turn here." "What about getting rid of the stuff in Santa Monica?" "There's something I gotta do." "It'll only take a minute." "Velma?" "I promised Pa I'd come back and see her walk." "Fine time you picked to go calling." " Can I go in with you?" " You stay in the car." "I'm only going in myself because I promised the old man." "Yeah, I know." "You said that." "My foot gets stronger all the time." "Don't you think I'm dancing better?" "Sure, baby." "How about a little drink, huh?" "Oh, no, Lon." "You want me to get dizzy again like last night?" " Think he'll be all right?" " Sure." "Joe's a panic when he's tight." "You said it, boy." "Listen, I was..." "Now, look here." "Now, look here." "I never was one to spoil a good time but enough is enough." "That's what I say." "Oh, who's that now?" " Roy." " Hello, Pa." "Well, is this a surprise." "Hello, Roy." "Well, it's about time you dropped in." "Where've you been?" "The family's out for a ride." "They'll be sorry they missed you." "Roy, this is Mr. Preiser." "He's my..." "He's from back home." "Hello, Roy." "Velma's told me a lot about you." "We had drinks to you the other night." " Did you?" " Yeah." "Oh, you haven't seen me dance yet." "My foot's all better now." "Watch me." "Go on, Pard." "Go get Roy." "Go find him." "This is a fine party, letting a lady dance by herself." "Come on, baby." "I declare." "Who's that now?" "Pard, you bad dog, you." "Gee, I'm sorry, Roy." "He jumped out of the car before I knew what happened." "Oh, hello." "You're Velma, aren't you?" " That's right." " I'm Marie Garson, a friend of Roy's." "I feel as though I know you." "Roy has often told me how nice you are." " Has he?" " Oh, say, that reminds me you did a lot for Velma." "I ought to pay you back." " After all, it's a lot of money." " Forget it." "Think nothing of it." "But I'd like you to take it." "After all, Lon and I are going to be married very soon, and he can afford it." "Getting married?" " Well, that's fine." " Yeah." "Yeah, that's swell." "Well, I guess I'll be on my way, Pa." "I'm going back East." "I just came in to say goodbye." "Let's have a drink together first, Roy." "You and your little girlie and me and my little Velma." "Get your hands off me." " I'm sorry." "L..." " I don't like you." "I don't like the way you talk, and I don't like your friends." " I don't like to think of her marrying you." " Come on, Roy." "You've got no right to say such things." "Lon's gonna be my husband, and I love him." "You're just jealous and mean because I don't want you." "I never wanted you." " I'm sure sorry." " Oh, it's all right." "Maybe it's just as well it happened this way." "Goodbye, Pa." "Goodbye." "Some nerve he had." "If it wasn't for you, dear, I'd have punched him in the nose." " You shouldn't have come in there." " I had to, Roy." "You thought of her more than you did me." "I just wanted to know why." "You don't love her anymore, do you?" "No." "If you weren't sure of it, you wouldn't have asked me." "If I didn't know where they come from, I'd think they was phony." "Poor old Mac." "There he was, laying there dead, with a half a million bucks beside him." "Well, it's all yours, and all I want is my cut." "You're gonna have to wait a few days for that, Roy." " What's that?" " Don't look at me." "My share you could put in your eye." "Larry's the headman now that Mac's gone." " Kansas City?" "That's him." "He's flying out." "Now, you leave the stuff with me and hide out for a while." "I can help you out a little." "You ain't trying to pull a fast one, are you?" "Take the stuff with you if you feel that way." "But it'll be like carrying a bomb around." "Okay." "Give me a couple hundred bucks and keep this." "But if I don't get my end, you ain't gonna be around long." " You and Larry both." " Oh, now, don't worry, Roy, you'll get it." "Here's the 200." "Yeah that's what I want." "Oh, Roy!" "That's a present." "Of course, you would put it on the wrong finger." "Well?" "Same old song." "Nothing doing yet." "I'm gonna run out of dough with all these long-distance calls." "Should've taken the money Velma's boyfriend offered." "No. "Think nothing of it," that's what you said." "Sucker." "Roy!" "Yeah." "Don't look like this thing's ever gonna cool off." "Look, I been thinking things over." "I like Pard as much as you do, but Algernon said he's bad luck." " That's malarkey." " Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn't." "How could a little dog be the cause?" "That's plain dumb!" "You think when you say a thing, that's that." "Nobody knows nothing, but you!" "Okay, Pard's to blame for everything." "Have it your own way." " I said, there might be something to it!" " Shut up!" "Don't tell me to shut up, you..." "Oh, honey, I'm sorry." "It's hurting you, isn't it?" "You just let me change this dressing for you." "Sorry." "It don't look so good, Roy." "It's all red." " Do you feel as if you have any fever?" " No, I don't think so." "I don't know, maybe I have." "Think I ought to see the doc?" "Oh, no, you can't do that." "They might get you." "You can't trust anybody, Roy." "After all, $ 10,000 is a lot of money." "You ought to turn me in and live easy for the rest of your life." "Even in fun, don't ever say things like that." "Thanks, sonny." " Morning." " Morning, Mr. Collins." "Baby, our troubles are over!" "I'm driving in tonight." "I just talked to Art." "He said they'll have my cut ready!" "We can go back East, where we'll be safe." "I was beginning to think they were giving me the runaround." " Easy to be wrong in this world." " Love me?" "You bet I do!" "Let him out, will you?" " Pains?" " Yeah, a little." " Look, honey, I'll drive in." " No, nothing doing." " Suppose we get a rumble?" " They're not looking for you yet." "All the same, I'll drive." "Go ahead with the packing." "I think the car needs gas." "Nice little Pard." "Nice little boy." "Shake hands?" "Nice Pard." "Oh, he's a fine boy." "Nice little Pard." " I wanna see you." " I'm busy." "I got a lot to do with..." "A lot to do this morning." "That's a nice little dog you got there." " Just trying to make up with him." " What makes you think his name's Pard?" "Didn't I hear you call him that yesterday?" "Maybe I'm wrong." "Get in there." "You know who I am, don't you?" " Never saw you before you came here." " What are you so scared about, then?" " Mr. Earle, please don't kill me!" " Open that door." "Looking for that reward, huh?" "Listen to this." ""Police are hot on his trail." "He's traveling with a woman who answers to Marie and a little gray-white mongrel dog who answers to Pard. "" " Mendoza." " Yeah, he squawked." "I should've taken care of him when he followed me out of the hotel." "Look at the tag they hung on me, "Mad Dog Earle. "" " Them newspaper rats!" " What are we gonna do, Roy?" "Wait a minute." "I gotta park you for a while, like you said." " Like who said?" " Remember we agreed if the going got tough, I was to park you." "Look, Roy, I can't leave you now." "I don't care what happens to me." "Let's stick together, honey." "Let the money go." "Forget about it." " We'll head east, then we'll be safe." " You need dough to get back East." "I've got 30 grand coming, and I'm gonna get it." "Now, listen." "I got an idea." "I'll put you on the bus to Las Vegas." "I'll go get my end, then I'll come after you." "Roy, don't leave me." "Please don't leave me." "I'm scared about it." "Think I wanna get you shot?" "When they hang that number one tag on you they shoot first and argue afterwards." "I know." ""Mad Dog Earle. " How do you like that?" "They've tied me with the Kranmer killing." "They get me, I haven't got a chance." "But they ain't gonna get me." "I've done all the time I'm ever gonna do." "I'll tie that guy up." "You go on down to the store and get a big basket with a lid on it." " Put Pard in it and take him with you." " Okay, Roy, I'll do anything you say." "Come on, Pard." "Get in, come on." "Get in." "When you get to Las Vegas, go right to the place I told you." "I'll be with you tomorrow night at the latest." "You got that?" "I just got a feeling about it, Roy." "I'm awful sorry for the way I've acted." " You got nothing to be sorry about." " Yes, I have." "Nagging at you and flying off the handle." "I wish I hadn't." "I like it." "I mean, that's the way married people ought to act." "Listen, my ma and pa fought like cats and dogs, going on 40 years." "I wouldn't give you 2 cents for a dame without a temper." "Here she comes." " Here, take this." " That's all you got, Roy." " I don't need that much." " You keep it, I'm all right." "You're all I got in the world." "Come on, now, baby." "I'll see you tomorrow night." "Come on." "Turning from the European news, a bulletin just handed me states that Mad Dog Earle has been identified as the man who slugged a camp proprietor this morning at Palmville on Route 395." "The bandit killer and his companion, a woman named Marie are believed to be headed toward Los Angeles." " Can I help you, sir?" " Yeah, give me a pack of cigarettes." "Don't give me no trouble, you won't get hurt." "Hand over the dough." "Yes, sir." "Never get myself shot up over money." "You're right, buddy." "You got sense." " Well, John, give me a Coke." " Look out, Tom!" "It's Roy Earle!" " What is all this?" " Hold up, Henry." "John thought it was Roy Earle." "Reading too many detective magazines." " Looked like Earle's picture." " Lf it's Earle, he's headed over the pass." "Operator, give me 420." "Sheriff, Holden speaking." "Paramount Drugstore has just been held up by a man identified as Roy Earle." "Yeah, looks just like him." "Okay." "Patrol car 41 waiting on High Bridge Road." "Good." "We'll have him bottled up in another hour." "Spread out, boys." "And watch yourselves, he's armed." " Better keep under cover." " Charley, Spike work over to his left." " He'll never come out alive!" "We got him holed in." "I know this country." "Hank, Sam go up to the ridge, wait." "Hey, you!" "You got no chance!" "Come on down!" "We won't do no shooting!" "Come and get me, buddy!" "Come and get me!" "What's the matter, yellow?" "Get Slim up here with his high-powered rifle and telescope." "He's in command of several hundred feet between him and the road." "Natural rock formations shelter him from attacks." "It is five hours now since Roy Earle took to cover on the rock and there's no indication on his part to surrender." "The mountain road is jammed." "Spectators are coming from all over." "The scene is 60 miles from Ballard." "I must go back the way we came." "Is there another soon?" "Yes, there's one that leaves from here in about 10 minutes." "Just like all dames." "She don't know whether she's coming or going." "It's infernally cold up here." "Maybe it's nerves." "The rock above, where Earle is hiding, looks like a huge iceberg." "Whenever the flares are lit, the faces of the crowd look like white masks of snow." "They look dead, all but their eyes." " Where you going?" " I'm Healy, of the Bulletin." "Let's see your police card." "Okay." "There have been rumors." "One is, Earle's about to give up." "Another, they've sent for Army bombing planes to blast Earle out." "And the sheriff and his men hold conference after conference." "Nerves of everyone are getting taut." "The crowd is getting very restless." "Spotlights are on Earle's fortress." "They're planning something new." " Howdy, sheriff." " Hello, Charley." " Hey, Slim?" " Yeah?" " See that peak up there?" " Yeah." "Reckon you could work your way up above where that fella's hiding?" "Ain't never been done before." "It's a straight 1000 feet." "I don't know." "I'll take a try at it." "There's the sheriff talking with a man with a queer-looking rifle." "Any minute now, it may be curtains for Roy Earle." "This seems to be the coldest place in the world tonight." "One is awe-stricken by this rendezvous with death." "The onlookers standing by as if they watched a game." "The tall pine trees, clustered around like a silent jury." "Officers waiting for the kill, and up above, a defiant gangster from a simple farm on the flats of Indiana, about to be killed on the highest mountain peak in the United States." "What's the idea, you?" "Get back where you belong!" "Anybody else tries that will get run in!" "See?" "What are you up to?" "Why'd you try to get through this line?" "What'd you mean to do?" "Have you a little dog in that basket?" "A little, gray-white dog?" "Boy!" "Hey!" " What's the matter with her?" " Roy Earle's been traveling with a Marie." " Sure, I know." "What about it?" " Meet Marie." "Hey, sheriff!" "Sheriff!" "I guess Slim couldn't make it." "Listen, you." "For the last time, I'm telling you to call Earle." " Lf you don't get wise, I'm gonna..." " Wait a minute." "Look, Marie." "It's dawn now, and we can't wait any longer." "We don't wanna kill your man unless we have to." "Why don't you tell him to come down and surrender peaceably." "You know, if you help us now, it'll go easier with you." " I'm not thinking of myself." " Be smart." "Just yell up to him and tell him to put his gun away and come down." "Otherwise, we'll get him, sure." "All right." "Go ahead and yell." " No, I won't!" " What's that?" " I won't!" " We'll get him, then!" "He's gonna die anyway." "He'd rather it was this way!" "Go on, kill him!" "Kill him!" "Kill him!" "Okay, lady, we're through." "Earle!" "Come down!" "It's your last chance!" "Come and get me, there's plenty of you down there!" "I'm telling you, it's your last chance!" "That's what you say, copper!" "Marie!" "Marie!" "Marie!" "Marie!" "Big-shot Earle." "Well, well." "Look at him lying there." "He ain't much now, is he?" "Mister." "What does it mean when a man crashes out?" " Crashes out?" "That's a funny question for you to ask now, sister." "It means he's free." "Free?"